Fortress of Ice
by WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsandYaoi
Summary: Gray had loved him. Ever since he met him as a child he loved him. Every fight, every argument, every battle, it had always been to hide his feelings. But now there was three new people in the guild, a mysterious threat which no one seemed to know about, and the person he loved more than anyone else was stolen away. How could Gray rescue Natsu and keep his feelings hidden?(Gratsu)
1. Chapter 1 - Three Visitors

**Disclaimer**

I don't own the fairytail characters or franchise, the only thing I could claim ownership of here is the three new characters which we will all meet :)

Oh… and of course it's yaoi so you know the whole 'don't like don't read' thing.

 **Quick Note;**

 **This will be written from differing Point of View (POV) at times, however the following Chapters 1 and 2 will be from a narrating perspective, hence referred to as General POV, just for clarification. I thank you for putting up with my writing habits :)**

 **Chapter 1 – Three Visitors**

 **General POV, Magnolia Outskirts**

It was dark and quiet, around Spring time, Magnolia was blossoming and the town was still. There was no sign of the past few years of peace, the inter-guild war between Fairy Tail and Tartaros seemingly a memory now for the people of the soundless town. The new Fairy Tail guild hall stood strong, the mages within its walls standing stronger. Three figures, cloaked and shadowy, stood upon a hill which fringed the town, looking over it with amused eyes.

"There it is boys" the lead figure said to the other two, "Magnolia town, home to the Fairy Tail guild".

"Indeed. Our target is in sight" another replied. He stood to the right of their leader, his face as hidden as the others beneath the hood of his cloak. The third figure to the left stood silent, dark and brooding. The leader laughed.

"Don't be so forward Digit" he said jovially, "We're here for more than that. Learn to enjoy the places we visit will you". The one identified as Digit sighed.

"Prime, we've got a job, if you've not forgotten, don't you agree Factor?" he looked to the silent third party, who snorted derisively and shook his head, still not speaking. Prime laughed harder.

"What a group we make… still… I agree that we _are_ here for a reason, however can't we stop off for a bite to eat and maybe get a souvenir or two before we get to the guild" Prime said whiningly.

Digit sighed. "If you must" he said tiredly. Despite the fact he was not the leader he sometimes felt like it, or at least the baby sitter. "But then we go to face the fairies". Prime nodded and soon after the three set off towards the town.

/

 **Gray's apartment**

Gray tossed and turned in his bed. He was naked, his body slick with a thin sheen of sweat as he jolted bolt upright in his bed. "Natsu!" he blurted as he awoke from the nightmare. It was late and he had gone to sleep only to find the nightmare he had occasionally awaiting him as he closed his eyes. "Damn it" he groaned, "Why does it keep happening?". He looked to his clock, finding that he had only been asleep for an hour or so. "It's always the same… I go to sleep… I think of _him_ , and then the dream becomes a god damned nightmare".

This was true. Ever since he was little Gray had been having this dream, it was always the same, regardless of how old he got. In the beginning he would be lying in his bed, naked of course, then he would hear a tapping. Choosing to ignore it he would turn away, only for it to occur again and again. Eventually, getting up to investigate he wandered around and, inevitably, over to the front door. "Who's there?" he would ask every time, and every time he would get no reply, just another tap. So he opened the door and was met with nothing, every single time, there was no deviation from this pattern. He would disregard this and return to his bedroom, where he found the same figure lying, sitting, or sometimes standing, on his bed waiting for him. "Hiya Gray" Natsu would purr. Gray always felt the predatory gaze fall on him at this part. The seductive grin and draconic, even feral eyes eating him up. "I heard you were thinkin' of me" Natsu would say. Gray always froze in place, never speaking, as Natsu would slink down his bed, getting closer and closer to him. Then he would reach out and pull him close, and Gray would still remain paralyzed. "I heard… ya _wanted_ something from me" Natsu would add as his hands snaked around Grays bare dream-body. Gray sometimes dreamt he stuttered or replied with some lame insult, however it would never deter the fake Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu would play around with him a bit, tempting him and teasing him, however the dream-Gray never responded and so Natsu would eventually grow bored of Gray and flip him onto his bed. "Not got anything to say popsicle" Natsu would say, "Only… I know what _I_ want… and I want to hear _you_ begging for it". Gray would squirm or try to retort with something, always to no avail, then Natsu would begin striping, or kissing him and Gray would ask him what he was doing with shock in his tone. "Say something Gray… tell me… or I'll just take you by force" this was always where the true nightmare began. Gray would never admit it, never say it, even to his dream, so the dream-Natsu always made good on his promise, taking him by force despite how badly he wanted to admit he wanted this. Before anything could really happen, however, Gray woke up without fail, always shouting out the Fire Dragon's name as he did so.

"Stupid Natsu…" Gray said, trying to turn over and trying to get back to sleep, "Why'd I have to feel this way about you of all people?" He sighed and breathed in deep, pushing thoughts of the Fire Dragon Slayer as far from his mind as he could.

It was what he had always done, was all he could do to keep himself sane all of these years. The undeniable truth etched into his subconscious.

 _I love Natsu Dragneel._

/

 **The next morning**

Gray awoke once more. It was morning, he judged from the light spilling in through the gaps between the closed curtains. He sighed out a breath and stretched, readying himself for his day. "I had that dream again" he remembered as he slid out of his bed. Gray didn't bother to put on clothes as he slumped himself over the bathroom sink, splashing water on his face. He did this every time he had that dream, just like the dream itself he often found himself repeating things every time it happened, little habits like this to try to distract him from the memory. He also noticed he always felt more depressed in the mornings that followed, often ready just to go and fight the Dragon Slayer he obsessed over, if nothing else to vent his frustration.

After splashing water on himself a few times he finished up and returned to his bedroom, sorting the bed sheets to some measure of order before finding some clean clothes and putting them on. Gray had hoped that after the dissolving of the guild one year ago he would forget about Natsu, he had hoped that he could move on and find a new obsession. That was why he dedicated himself to finding and destroying END, as well as infiltrating Avatar. Despite his best efforts to forget it never helped, he always found himself straying back to his memories of the pink head, often with a fondness only nostalgia could bring. The final straw was pulled, however, when Natsu actually showed up at the dark guilds doors, trying to find him. Gray had been touched that Natsu only considered Fairy Tail complete with him there, however he still refused to admit his real feelings for the Dragon Slayer, choosing instead to play the villain. Of course Natsu had beat him up for it later and Gray had then, naturally, come back to the reformed guild, hoping that his other friends' presence could help him to ignore, or at least distract him from, his turmoil.

At present, of course, this had not worked as Gray found the nightmare becoming even more prominent than it ever had been. He groaned as he ate his breakfast. "I need to find some way… some way to forget" he said aloud, only to be met with silence. There was only ever silence to respond to his desperate groans of loneliness, especially since he had always kept his feelings secret he could not ask for help or guidance from anyone. Choosing to finish eating Gray put the dirt dishes in the sink, and then he set off for the guild. Maybe he could find some answers there, he hoped, although that was unlikely; Natsu would be there too.

/

 **At the guild**

Gray entered the guild about an hour later. Normally he would just walk from his apartment to the guild in less than ten minutes, however today he really didn't feel like arriving too soon, so he meandered around Magnolia a bit first. As soon as he entered he was met with an uproar of noise. "What's going on?" Gray asked Cana as he saw the drunk sitting slightly further away from the center of the guild floor than most of the others.

Cana looked at him for a moment. "Seems like Natsu said something to Elfman, and then Elfman reacted…other stuff was said and Gajeel, Macao and Romeo are all involved so a fight breaks out, you know, normal stuff" she said lazily. "I wanted to drink in peace so I stayed over here".

Gray sighed, of course there'd be a fight, it was only 9AM and there were already a few guild members at each other's throats. _Typical_ he thought as he sat down across from the drunk to watch the argument. _I just wanted some quiet and so I get given a fight… but I suppose Natsu is fighting…_ He grinned.

"You gonna be a real man and take that back, Natsu" Elfman boomed, towering above the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu grinned wildly as he shook his head.

"Take what back" he mocked childishly, earning a look of disapproval from the Take-Over mage. He already had flames around his clenched fists, his hair wild and spikey, with strands sticking out at odd angles.

"And you can take back what you said about my dad" Romeo added, his hands also engulfed in his purple flames.

Natsu shook his head. "Not a chance kid, anyone ever tell you it's rude to lie" Natsu replied, grinning wider, "Plus it's true, he is getting old and can't fight as well as he used to". Romeo gritted his teeth as Maccao, who was standing beside his son, summoned up his own purple flames too.

"Do I need to prove I can fight?" The fire wizard said jovially, his eyes daring Natsu to make another move.

Gajeel stomped forward. "I want to get first crack at him… damned Salamander calling my Levy boring" the Iron Dragon Slayer grunted.

"Shut it Gajeel, I only said that because she was calling _me_ loud and annoying" Natsu defended, earning a cheer from Happy, who stood watching the brewing trouble with Pantherlily. Gajeel grunted.

"It's true, you are loud and annoying, flame brain" he responded, raising ironed fists and aiming them at Natsu, only to be stopped by Elfman.

"Hey, I'm going to fight him first since he insulted me first. It's what a real man would do" Elfman said, earning a sharp glare from Gajeel. Natsu laughed childishly.

"I'll take you all on" he declared. Before he could make a move, however, another member joined the fray.

"Everyone calm down" Erza demanded, red hair falling down her armored shoulders, she had her ever-present armor on. At her entrance to the fight zone everyone went silent.

"Yes ma'am" Natsu squeaked, afraid instantly. Gray, continuing to watch from the side lines, allowed his expression to go sour. _Erza ruins it before anything can happen_. There was no telling what Erza would do to Natsu if he didn't obey her, however Gray really wanted to see him fight again. He noticed that the others all backed off too.

"Good. Natsu, apologise to Macao" Erza instructed. Natsu obeyed, mumbling something like an apology which Macao accepted, dragging Romeo away as he went to sit down again, "And Levy" she added. Again Natsu mumbled another apology, which Levy smiled at, "And finally Elfman" she concluded. Natsu bowed his head and apologised, just to pacify the Requip mage. She nodded firmly as he did so and then did an about face. "Now keep quiet, just because the Master isn't here right now doesn't give you an excuse to cause a fuss" she said, marching off to continue eating her slice of cake. Natsu stared her down behind her back, cowing immediately as she glared at him one last time before resuming her seat. Gray blew out a heavy breath.

"Guess I'm not going to find anything here…" he muttered quietly.

"What wuz that?" Cana asked, mildly drunkenly despite the early time.

Gray held his hands up quickly, hoping not to get the Card mage too suspicious. "Did I say that out loud? Sorry… I was just… voicing some thoughts. I leave you to your drinking now" he immediately got up. Cana watched him leave the guild hall quickly with a mildly confused look on her face, however she shrugged it off as she began consuming her third barrel of the day.

As soon as he was out of the guild Gray stopped, only to be nearly run over by another wizard barreling out of the guild hall. "Ow…" Gray complained, getting up off of the ground. "Natsu you idiot". The pink head gave him a sharp look from his place still on the pavement.

"Me? It was you who was standing in the way, popsicle" Natsu retorted, dusting himself off after he got up. "Why were you standing around there anyways? Aren't you normally in the guild, or sulking around somewhere" he added. Gray was caught off guard by Natsu's question.

"Er… I was standing around there…" he stuttered. _Why'd it have to be him_? Gray thought desperately. If it had been anyone else he would have been able to think of a response in seconds flat, however as it was Natsu he just fumbled, eventually resorting to the only thing he knew how to do around Natsu. "Because I want to, alright. Is that a problem Flame Breath?" he responded.

Natsu clenched his fists. "Yes it's a problem, you're in my way, Ice Princess" he retorted, "I've gotta go, I'm gonna train" he added before turning to go. Gray almost blurted out to ask if he could spar-train with him, however he caught himself just in time as the Fire Dragon Slayer turned the street corner and disappeared off to some secluded part of the woods.

"Damned Natsu…" Gray sighed, before wandering off, not really caring which direction he headed in.

/

 **In the forest**

"Stupid… Erza… stupid Gray… getting in my way…" Natsu panted as he struck fiery blows against an unlucky tree. He had been in a pretty good mood this morning, getting a fight so early was great training, however Erza just had to break it up before they actually got to the good bit. Then Gray went and pissed him off as he went to train and that did it.

"Gray was acting… pretty weird though" he said aloud to the quiet forest. It was true, he had noticed how Gray had been ignoring him a lot lately, and was always choosing to sulk instead of fighting him. "Probably just… sulky because someone… pissed him off" Natsu reasoned as he threw a few flaming fists at the tree. After a while he decided he'd vented enough energy and sat down at its base.

"Although… he'd been acting weird when we sparred a few days ago, like he could look at me straight" Natsu thought. It wasn't really his forte to try to read other people, however he'd fought Gray for years, sparring with him on a near daily basis. Each wizard knew the other's moves, and whilst each of them had changed a lot in the last year, they both still knew when the other was troubled. "I wonder if Lucy know anything…" Natsu pondered as he lay back to look up at the blue sky. _Gray…_

After a while, and a little thought Natsu reasoned that he may as well return to the guild. Leaving the forest behind him he went back to Magnolia town, however no sooner had he done that did he run into the very person he was looking for walking away from the market. "Hey Lucy…" Natsu called as he pushed through the crowd to reach her. She turned to look at him.

"Hey Natsu, what's up? I'd have thought you'd be at the guild this morning" the blonde celestial mage said.

"I was but… some stuff happened so I went off to train in the woods" Natsu explained. Lucy nodded.

"Gray just said the same thing, I passed him before in the market" she said, "He seemed a bit off, have you two fought or something?" Natsu shook his head.

"No, I ran into him when I left the guild hall, he was kinda in my way… but then we argued a little and I left, no fighting. He's been weird for a little while I think… he doesn't even spar with me anymore" Natsu said. Lucy pursed her lips in thought for a moment.

"Wonder why he's sulking then?" she said. Natsu shrugged.

"I don't know what goes through that Droopy eyes' head…" he said confusedly.

"I'll ask Juvia later, if anyone knows she'll know" Lucy said before turning to face towards the guild, "Come on, let's get to the guild though, I want to see if there's any good jobs that I can take before someone else steals 'em" she added. Natsu smiled and followed her. Maybe a job could get Gray a bit more cheered up so that he would spar with him.

/

They discussed some possibilities as to why Gray would be acting so weird as they walked, however only Lucy's contributions proved to be anywhere near useful, all Natsu could think of was either food or fight related, which Lucy was not as sure was the case as Natsu was. By the time they had reached the guild they had become significantly more interested, and determined to find out what was going on. Lucy was leading, however as they reached the guild hall she was stopped by Natsu's outstretched arm in front of her.

"Wait a minute…" he sniffed the air suddenly.

"What is it Natsu?" she asked, confusion and concern in her tone; only one moment ago he had been thinking over the possibility that Gray was secretly too injured to fight with him, however now he wore a look of seriousness.

"I can smell… Gray's in there… everyone else too… but there's something weird…" he inhaled deeply.

"Like good weird?" she guessed not, however asked for confirmation.

"No. Just… weird" he said. Lucy shrugged.

"Let's go in and find out then" she said, moving to proceed, with Natsu following along cautiously.

As soon as they entered thy were met with the sight of an intense standoff. Erza, Gray, Mirajane, Elfman and a few others were all on their feet as three strange men stood in the center of the guild. "We just want to know where the Master is" one of them said. Erza seemed to be conversing with them.

"He's not here, like I said before" she barked.

"Well then I guess we'll be waiting here for him" the man replied. Erza stood her ground.

"That is not permitted, you may wait around Magnolia, however not here" she reasoned level headedly. The man shook his head.

"If we wait here we'll be able to see him as soon as he comes back" he replied. Erza shook her head.

"Out of the question…" she said. The man smirked.

"What are you going to do?" he taunted. Gray stomped up beside Erza.

"Are you forgetting we're a wizard guild? We'll throw you out" he shouted. Erza held her hand up to stay him.

"We'll ask you one last time," she then Requiped a blade into her hand, "Or I'll be forced to take this as an attempted invasion of the guild". The man shrugged.

"That's not going to scare us" he said nonchalantly. "We're perfectly entitled to wait here, trust me". Erza was adamant, glaring him into submission. And failing.

"That was your last warning" she said, "Prepare to be thrown out". Natsu was there now, standing near Gray and Erza.

"Erza wait, they're wizards" he warned her. She stopped and looked at them skeptically.

"You are?" she directed this at them, who nodded in unison.

"Yes, that Dragon whelp is right, we are, and we've come to speak to Makarov".

 **Chapter 1 End**

 **Next Chapter; Devil Boy and Dragon Whelp**


	2. Chapter 2 - Devil Boy and Dragon Whelp

**Chapter 2 – Devil Boy and Dragon Whelp**

 **General POV**

"Erza wait, they're wizards" Natsu called to Erza suddenly, causing her to stop and give the three a skeptical glance.

"You are?" she questioned them, who all nodded in unison.

"Yes, that Dragon whelp is right, we are, and we've come to speak to Makarov" the central wizard said. They each wore cloaks, however as he spoke they pulled them back to reveal their faces and forms. Each wore a suit, with alternating lapel and shirt colours. The central figure wearing a black suit with gold lapels and a white shirt, which had the top two buttons undone. The right wizard wore a dark blue suit with slightly lighter blue lapels and light sky-blue shirt, which was completely buttoned and also tied with a red tie. The right wizard wore a dark red-burgundy suit, with lighter red lapels, and a white shirt also, which was buttoned up but not tied.

"Which guild are you from?" Gray barked in question.

They each smirked and held up their hands, the guild marks there showing, each in a purple colour. The symbol was of a sequence of three square lines, one inside of the other and getting smaller. "We are of the Three Cubed guild; I am the leader of this group" the central wizard said. He looked about 16 or 17 years old, was solidly built and muscular, with a slightly rounded face. He had dark blue-black hair, similar to Gray's in colour, however these were tipped with blond streaks. It was slightly wild in its design, as it seemed to have been combed, however it now had some spikey bits to it, giving him windswept sort of look to him. He reminded Gray of Natsu a bit, although a lot cockier. "I should probably reintroduce us, allow me to introduce the three wizard team; the Triplet Code. I am the leader, Prime" he nodded at Erza, before gesturing to his colleague to his right.

The next wizard bowed. "I am Digit, a pleasure to make your acquaintance" he said in a formal tone. Digit was slightly shorter than the one called Prime, however he looked to be about the same age. He wore a flat expression, smiling seemingly only as a formality, and had sleeker features than his comrade. His hazel-brown hair was neatly folded into a wave design and he carried himself with an air of dignity that annoyed Gray for some reason. His hazel eyes were flecked with green and seemed to analyze everything critically.

Finally, the third wizard nodded curtly, arms folded over his chest. "This is Factor" Prime said. Factor did not speak, just looked on, he had a slight smirk on his face. His face itself was rounder than the other two and he was the tallest by only a small fraction, however he was also the thinnest of them all as well. He seemed to be the same age as the others, with dark ebony hair and matching black eyes.

"Okay, you have made yourselves known, now will you leave peacefully?" Erza asked, undeterred by their introductions. Prime shook his head.

"I'm afraid not" he replied, "I know there is no threat you can make to remove me either". He gave her a cocky grin.

Erza seemed slightly amused by his resistance. _He's gonna get it_ Gray thought, seeing the Requip mage's expression. "How do you know there is no threat?" she said, conjuring another sword into her free hand and advancing three paces forward, towards the intruders. The whole guild held its breath as it ready for a fight to break out.

Prime smirked and clicked his fingers towards one of his mages, Digit, who inhaled a breath and pointed at Erza. "Miss Erza Scarlet, S-Class wizard, other names include Titania, or Queen of the Fairies. Magic; Requip, the Knight style, threat level; 7 to an individual, 5 to a group, matters of note; affiliation with one Jellal Fernandes, put on trial by Magic Council after the incident with the Lullaby flute, uses armor to hide her weakness about her emotions, was captured and worked on the Tower of Heaven, and is also affiliated with one Wally Buchanan, whereabouts unknown, Shô surname omitted, also whereabouts unknown, and one Millianna, currently a member of the Mermaid Heel guild" he finished in one breath.

Erza, as well as the whole guild, seemed stunned momentarily. "You've done your homework, however… that will not stop me" she proceeded to get closer to them until Prime put up his hand.

"No no, miss Scarlet, it's fine, there was one more thing I needed to point out… oh… however it looks like your guild mate over there, the Devil boy, has figured it out" he gestured behind Erza to Gray, who wore a grim expression.

"I only just remembered something… I've heard about you guy's before… The Triplet Code; also called the Magic Council's dogs. They work for the magic council _and_ acts a magic guild" Gray said, gritting his teeth. Prime laughed.

"Yep, I was right, he figured it out. It's true we work for the magic council, however we aren't here on their behalf today" Prime said, before looking to Digit. "How much time we got?" he asked.

Digit looked blank for a second then responded. "Forty minutes until next session" he said flatly. Prime nodded.

"Well then… it would seem you only have to tolerate us for forty minutes, and since I can tell your all riled up how about I make it interesting" he fished around in his cloak and produced a small pouch. "In here is 50, 000 jewel. How about I make a formal request for a couple of fights, me, my buddy Digit, that Dragon whelp, and the Devil boy" Prime said, raising his eyebrows. Erza smirked.

"If you'll leave after then sure" she said bluntly. Prime bowed.

"Your wish is my command, m'lady" he said cockily, before chuckling.

/

 **Behind the guild**

They decided to assemble behind the guild. Freed set up a magical barrier field so that no magic attacks could pass beyond its walls, preventing damage to the guild hall or area. Prime and Digit stood on one edge of the cordoned off arena, Gray, Natsu and Erza stood on the other.

"Should we make this a two on three battle? Or would you rather do some sort of tournament style thing?" Prime asked once they had assembled. Factor stood a little way back from his guildmates, observing the fight but not participating. Erza had asked why, however Prime just insisted it would be better for him to watch rather than fight since he didn't want an 'epidemic' on his hands, whatever that meant the Fairy Tail mages were not sure.

"How about we do one on one fights?" Gray asked. He really didn't want to fight alongside Natsu, since he was pretty sure he'd make a fool of himself getting that close to the Fire Dragon Slayer, and would probably have a hard time trying to explain why.

Prime shrugged. "I don't mind, I'll start against Erza, then you, Devil boy, can fight Digit and finally the lizard will fight whichever of us can be bothered to, sound good?" Erza nodded as Gray was about rise to the insult.

"Yes, that will be fine" she said, "We will begin now", she stepped into the area, sword still in hand from before. Prime grinned as he also stepped into the arena. They stood one pace away from each other. "You seem to know my magic; will you tell me yours?" she asked bluntly. Prime just shrugged.

"Maybe… if you need to know" he replied. "Now let's fight". Erza wasted no time, light flashed over her body as her Heavens Wheel armor formed around her. "That one first eh?" Prime laughed. Erza conjured up a dozen swords, aiming them at him. He seemed amused.

"Let's see you use your power then" she said as she began to send her swords towards her opponent. Before they had even moved more than an inch in the air Prime moved like a blur and struck at the exposed parts of her armor. "What? Speed Magic?" she said, surprised he had avoided her attack so easily. Prime shook his head.

"Close… but no dice, I'm not a Speed mage. Also… your armor will be annoying for my hand to hand combat so… I think I'll give you a taste of my magic" he said, grinning wider. "Requip; Titan's gloves" his hands glowed as the gloves he mentioned appeared. They were black, with gold spikes on the knuckles. Erza went wide eyed.

"You use the same magic as me?" she was mildly amused.

"Sort of… we are both Requip mages… however my style is a little different. Your style, the Knight, is aimed towards moving armor and weapons through the gate between dimensions with ease, whilst mine… the Brawler style, allows me to move hand held weapons, like knives, firearms, and claws, as well as gloves and light clothing, such as suits, through instead" Prime explained. Erza nodded.

"Yes, I am aware how different style of Requip can be used to more effectively change weapons and other things, however… how will yours fair against mine. Requip" she changed again, her armor becoming that of her Black Wing armor. Prime raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive, let's see how that fairs against my Titan gloves" he said, before moving like a blur again, appearing beside Erza and attempting to land a blow, which she blocked with her sword. "Nice try, these gloves can increase their weight, let's see how you parry a harder blow" he said, the gold on his gloves lighting up. Erza grabbed her sword with both hands, apparently struggling to hold out against the attack. Prime laughed, before becoming a blur and withdrawing again, to stand about nine paces away from the red-head.

"That was… quite impressive" Erza complimented him. Gray looked on with awe, _did he really just move nine paces in a second_?

"That speed…" he muttered. Digit waved over to him.

"You noticed it did you?" he asked, "Prime's magic, I mean". Gray looked at him confused for a second.

"I thought he was a Requip mage, like Erza" Gray said to the brunette. Digit looked to his leader for a second, who was clashing with Erza once more. He briefly nodded at Digit, who looked over to Gray once more. Erza seemed to be listening in too as Prime withdrew once more.

"Go on, tell them Digit" Prime instructed, whilst he Requipped into another set of gloves; red, with a flame patter around the rim. Erza reacted by changing to her Flame Empress armor.

Digit began to explain aloud. "Each member of our team uses two forms of magic. In Prime's case he uses Requip, as you have seen, however he uses another" he paused for a moment. Natsu cocked his head to the side, as Gray looked to him.

"He uses Speed magic, right?" Natsu said, seemingly as Digit had expected, as he shook his head.

"Incorrect. It is actually a form of spatial magic, observe" he glanced over to Prime, who smirked at Erza.

"I hope your ready Miss Scarlet, because here it comes. Swift; 10 Steps" he said. As soon as he said that he moved as a blur, appearing near Erza to land a blow on her back, which did nothing due to her armor, before he reappeared about four steps away. He then dived back in, appearing two steps from her, on the opposite side to where he had been, and sending jets of flames from his hands which she was unaffected by because of her armor. He then became a blur once more, dodging and moving in and out to strike her. It was mesmerizing to see him move at such speed, however Erza was more focused on avoiding or deflecting his attacks.

After a while he stopped, a slight amount of perspiration on his features. As soon as he did Erza smirked. "Now I know your magic, you can appear any number of steps between one and ten from your position, correct?" she seemed confident. Gray was surprised she had figured it out so quickly, despite being focused on defending from his attacks. _She is amazing as always_ he thought, however he was suddenly struck by another feeling as he turned to look at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer was watching him intently.

"Er… Natsu… what are you doing?" Gray asked, confused, as Natsu seemed to just stare at him. _It's bad enough it's him_ he thought _Plus… it's pretty unnerving_.

"Oh… it's just you seemed a lot better now than before" Natsu said, eyes darting back to the match quickly. Gray sighed, obviously Natsu had noticed his bad mood earlier. He decided to return his attention to the fight and deal with that later. Erza had requipped a few times it would seem, despite the short space of time, now in her flight armor, an array of her various weapons littered about the place. Prime had changed his gloves to some plain black leather ones, however he now held twin guns in each hand.

"You _are_ impressive, Miss Scarlet, being able to avoid a full unload from each gun like that, however… I've still got plenty left" he said as the guns flashed and disappeared, being replaced by a set of newer, sleeker looking ones.

"In this armor I can match your speed, so your Swift is useless, Prime" she retorted calmly. Drawing her sword up to show her intent to attack. Prime looked amused.

"So it's a speed battle you want, is it?" he mocked, bending his legs into a runner's stance. "Very well, let's see you avoid my guns _and_ my fists" he said. She leapt at him as he spoke, however he simply sidestepped and ready the first shot, which she dodged beautifully, moving in for another slice. Prime dodged, appearing several steps away. He fired off four more shots, two from each weapon, which Erza had to leap up to avoid, before coming down with a strike of her own, that Prime sent off course with a kick to her stomach. He fired twice more, Erza deflecting the bullets with rapid swipes from her blade. She summoned up another one into her other hand hand jumped up, ready to land on Prime's position. Prime anticipated her actions, fired his last bullet, then sent the guns away, his hands quickly becoming covered in yet another set of gloves. These ones were black and scaly, with tiny wing-like designs on their cuffs. He put up his hands and caught the incoming blades with ease.

"Like 'em?" he asked. Erza eyed up his gloves suspiciously. "They are Black Wing gloves, I made them myself" he raised an eyebrow, before throwing Erza's blades around and sending her spiraling away. When she got up she seemed intent on attacking Prime.

"Very well then…" she said, Requip active once more. When she was finished she was once more in her Black Wing armor. "Let's try your fists against the very same armor" she declared. Prime nodded, before rushing her. Erza sliced out with her sword, however Prime used his protected palms to deflect the sword attack and land one of his own on Erza's armored chest. Erza tried for a kick, however he blocked it efficiently, and then went to deliver another blow, only for her to a swipe from her weapon, which he had to throw himself sideways to avoid. They continued like this for quite some time, each wizard landing blows which proved ineffective against their opponent. Prime used his Swift magic to improve his speed, circling around Erza as a blur, whilst she anticipated, leapt, and parried his blows with stabs and slices from her swords. After a while they each stopped, sweaty and panting for breath.

"Very… good… Erza… looks like we… won't be getting very far in this" Prime said with a smile. Erza nodded approvingly.

"Should we call this a draw then, Prime?" she asked. He gave it some thought and grinned.

"Seeing as you are a fellow Requip mage, I would accept a draw" he said. Erza nodded curtly.

"Then I accept your offer of a draw" she said. They faced each other and shook hands.

"A good fight, one I won't be forgetting too soon" Prime said, "Digit, looks like you're up now" he added, as he walked over to his guildmate. Gray and Natsu stood looking at Erza with shock.

"You surrendered?!" they both shouted. The other guild members that were watching the fight also seemed to be surprised by her choosing to draw. She nodded at them.

"A warrior knows which fights to pick. There was no need to waste any more time dueling him when we were both evenly matched" she said, "Now I believe it is Gray's turn". She looked toward the Ice-Make Devil Slayer, who gulped. He had heard of these guy's and some of their power, however seeing just one of them go up against Erza and be evenly matched to her was pretty unsettling. He then noticed that the wizard called Digit was already standing in the circle and he realised there was no way he would be able to get out of this if Erza was one the who accepted the agreement. He sighed heavily and began plodding forward to face his opponent.

/

Digit looked passively at Gray as he approached. "What? You just gonna stand there?" Gray asked aggressively, not really wanting to be kept waiting. Digit continued to observe him quietly, before producing a small, black, leather-bound notebook from the inside of his jacket. He flicked his wrist and a pen slid out from his sleeve. He opened his book and started scribbling some notes down, not really paying any attention to Gray. Gray looked on confused.

"Er… we are meant to be fighting, you know" he said confusedly. Digit did not stop, did not even look up as he spoke.

"Yes, of course I know. You are Gray Fullbuster, son of Silver Fullbuster. You're an Ice-Make wizard as well as an Ice Devil Slayer. You were deeply involved in the Tartaros-Fairy Tail conflict, were you went up against the resurrected form of your aforementioned father. After that you had an affiliation with the dark guild Avatar, after which you rejoined Fairy Tail. Your threat level to me at this moment is four, making this a battle not really worth doing" the brunette said, finishing his writing before facing Gray again. Gray was momentarily taken aback, before clenching his fists.

"You're saying I'm not a threat" he barked. "I'll show you what I can do" he raised his hands, however Digit smirked, putting him off balance again.

"I've already run the calculations, taking into consideration your two magical abilities, and also your general fighting ability, I can conservatively say that you have only an 18 percent chance of actually besting me in combat" Digit said coolly. Gray was once more stunned.

"What?! 18…" he gritted his teeth in anger. "I'll show you 18 percent" he conjured up an icy mist around himself as his magic followed to his hands. "Ice Make; Hammer" he threw his hands down, a huge hammer of ice forming above him to come crashing down on the brunette.

Digit blinked and smirked before a barrier of flaming columns came up to his defense, melting the ice and making the attack ultimately useless. "As I said, 18 percent" he reiterated. Gray maintained his stance.

"You're a fire wizard? I've seen flames way hotter come from Natsu when we're brawling" he said, eyes flicking over to the pink headed Dragon Slayer watching this from the side lines. He was smirking at Gray's comment. "Stop giving that grin idiot" Gray barked at him, before narrowing his gaze once more onto the brunette in front of him. He didn't bother making another comment as Digit had returned to scribbling notes in his book.

"Whilst we're here, would you answer a few questions. Firstly, do you suffer any major side effects from using Devil Slayer magic?" he looked to Gray expectantly.

"Err… not really…" Gray said, "But right now… we're supposed to be fighting". Prime chirped up from the side lines.

"Fight Digit, you can collect data later, once our business is done" he ordered. Digit looked to Prime momentarily before putting his book away, but keeping his pen in hand.

"Alright" he said, "I believe you were about to try another Ice Make spell" he added, looking to Gray again, face bored now.

Gray gritted his teeth, _what is this guy's problem?_ Not really looking for an answer he decided to simply try and end this quickly. "Right… Ice Make; Arrows" Gray said, summoning up a crossbow of ice and sending a hail of frozen arrows raining down on Digit's position. Some of them rebounded off of Freed's runes, sending them scattered about the place, however when the attack finished Gray was astonished to find the other mage still standing, completely unaffected by the spell. "How's that possible?" he shouted. Digit smirked confidently.

"You haven't worked out my magic? Well allow me to demonstrate" he said, holding his pen out in front of him. He swiped it in the air, leaving a trail of red light. "Red Script; Crimson Twister" he said. The light immediately dissolved into flames which spun into a twirling column of fire and heat. "See. My magic is Rainbow Script magic; with it I may command all the elements with my writing" he said after the twister dissolved into the air. Freed seemed astonished.

"That magic, those symbols… I've never seen them before" he said. Gray briefly glanced at his amazed guildmate.

Digit looked over too. "You probably haven't, it is a very old form of script which doesn't really get used anymore. My master had to help me to translate it and learn it when he taught me" he admitted. Gray grinned.

"So you can command the elements? What about ice?" he said, "Ice Make; Lance". He didn't bother to wait for a verbal answer.

"Ice is easy" Digit replied, swiping his pen in the air again, writing another symbol with ease. This one was made of blue light. "Blue Script; Frost Diversion" he said. At that the symbol glowed brightly and Gray's lances were repelled around the symbol, only to collide with Freed's barrier. "Now it's my turn I think…" Digit said as Gray stood annoyed that he had so easily defended from his attack, "Try this, Green Script; Green Tempest". A green symbol was drawn which quickly changed to a raging storm that tunneled its way through the air, only to collide with Gray's Ice Make; Shield. "And this, Orange Script; Fissure" Digit added quickly, drawing out another symbol that dissolved into the ground, taking effect to cause a mini-earthquake, which ripped the ground apart under both of them. Gray created a platform of ice to stand on, whilst Digit simply leapt up and landed on a small platform of earth that formed beneath him. Gray watched him carefully.

"So you can use multiple elements" he observed. Digit sighed.

"Is that really all you think I can do? Allow me to prove why you have only an 18 percent chance of winning" he wrote out another symbol. "Grey Virus" he said, the words forming a ball of jumbled up words, letters and symbols. Instead of aiming it at Gray, who was already prepared for another attack, it instead moved to bind to Freed's barrier. It quickly merged with it and the normally purple symbols turned a dark grey. "Now my spell will reword the barrier as it is programmed to and…" he stared at Gray, who cocked his head slightly.

"What?" he said. Suddenly he felt a great stab of pain through him. "What's going on?"

"I used Mister Justine's barrier, it was reworded by my spell so that I can forcibly change its effect. It can only be done on spells, through either contact with their magic circle, or alternatively, through enchantment barriers" Digit explained. "This one will now sap anyone who uses a form of Slayer magic of their magic power. In other words, you can't cast spells, and so can't beat me. This means I win" Digit added. Gray gritted his teeth against the burning sensation he was feeling in his chest.

"Damn it…" he said.

"Alright, that's enough, you've made your point" Erza shouted from the sidelines, "You've won this round" she said. The barrier fell and Gray gasped in relief.

"Alright, looks like I take on the other Dragon Slayer next" Digit said, "Since Prime is out". Prime held up his hand to protest, however Digit stopped.

"There's no need for that, I'm back" Makarov said from the crowd of onlookers.

/

 **Gray's POV**

Natsu, me and Erza whirled as the crowd parted to allow Makarov, flanked by Mirajane, to push through.

"It looks as though you've had some tough fights" the old man commented as he watched Erza direct me over to where Natsu was standing. He was pouting, and complaining, however I didn't care at this point. I just wanted to go home and stop thinking about him.

"But Gramps…" Natsu began to protest; he really wanted to fight too.

"No, Natsu. These three gentlemen came to speak to me, I will do so in my office, and then they may go about their business" he looked at the three. Prime and Digit were standing in front of Makarov as Factor made his way over.

Prime bowed respectfully. "I thank you Master Makarov Dreyar, we have only a short matter to discuss" he said. Makarov nodded and gestured for them to follow him into the guild.

"The rest of you go back into the guild, go on or job, or just go around Magnolia, I don't want to see any more fights being picked for the rest of the day, unless it's training" the old man instructed. Everyone grumbled, but complied, returning indoors, they had all wanted to see Natsu fight just as much as he had wanted to do so.

/

I went inside the guild with most of the others, and slumped into the most discrete booth possible. Lucy tried to come up to talk to me, however I pouted and told her to leave me alone. She looked hurt at my harsh words, however I ignored her looks as I sat and thought about the fight I had just had. _That boy beat me so easily_ I thought angrily, stamping my fist down on the table. _I won't be shown up by him again._

"What're ya thinking about?" a voice said, seating itself across from me.

"Piss off Natsu" I retorted, I wasn't in the mood for him to pick fun at me.

"What's the matter, seriously… was it that fight?" he said, a slight spark in his eyes telling me he had thought of something annoying to say.

" _Seriously_ , just piss off Natsu, I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now. Or take any shit" I added.

Natsu smirked. "You've not been _in the mood_ for anything recently, you never fight with me anymore, and you keep on ignoring all my comments" he said. I sighed. _He really had noticed my bad mood… but how am I supposed to tell him what is wrong? I mean… it's him that's caused me to have all these feelings for years… maybe…_

"Earthland to Gray… hey, are you listening to me?" Natsu waved his hand in front of my face.

"It's… nothing, alright" I sighed. He shrugged.

"If you say so, Ice Princess" he said, shooting me a smile, "Does that me we can fight again?" he seemed interested in my answer. I really wanted to say 'no', since that would mean I wouldn't have to hang around him at all, however I knew he would just keep hounding me if I said that. "Alright, yeah… whatever…" I answered finally, making Natsu smile. _I suppose it does mean I get to see him all worked up… hot… close to me…_ I shook my head before my thoughts could go any further.

"Fine, can we fight later, I want to train some moves I've been working on and there's only so much you can do against a tree" Natsu asked. I nodded, noticing some shuffling movement over his shoulder. Master had reappeared, alongside the other three wizards.

I watched as Makarov called everyone's attention, Natsu spinning in his seat to observe. "Right… I've discussed some matters with these three and we have come to an arrangement. For the moment they will be staying with us as guests. If they ask to go on your jobs with you, let them, they will not ask for a share of the reward, and treat them as you would any Magic Council official. There was a brief murmur in the crowd of wizards. "Is that clear?". Everyone nodded, or mumbled a yes. "Good" the old man said.

Prime took the opportunity to step forward. "I would like to thank you all for your co-operation. I am aware we may not have gotten off on the best foot, however… let me assure you we have our reasons for intruding upon your guild, and we would be most thankful if you just _put up_ with us for a little while. Also… as from now we have a task we each will take a designation. I may be Prime, however for this I will also be taking the name Walter, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances. Digit will be taking the name Cyrus, and Factor is now Blake. That is all, and I hope we may be able to be friends in the future" he bowed deeply, along with his guildmates.

 _So those guys are hanging around too… great. I'll never be able to deal with all this…_ I thought solemnly, as I watched Natsu grin broadly.

 **Chapter 2 End**

 **Next Chapter; I Hate To Admit It**


	3. Chapter 3 - I Hate to Admit It

**Chapter 3 – I Hate to Admit It**

 **Gray POV, on week later**

It had been one week since Prime, Digit and Factor arrived at the guild and challenged me, Erza and Natsu to a fight. After the announcement that they would be staying the guild had become very tense, unsure of how to act around the three new 'members'. Initially people looked at them skeptically, only really talking to them if the Triplet Code had asked them a question. They had gone a few jobs with people, often with very good results, as the mages they accompanied came back with interesting stories or, even more interesting, more jewel than they had set out to get from their job. People were beginning to think the three were some kind of good luck charm, and in some cases some people wondered if we could recruit them as allies to the guild. I didn't agree in either case; they were just too suspicious. They always sat together at the same booth, and no one knew where they went after dark. Natsu had tried to follow them once, after I had encouraged him to do so, however he came back a couple of hours later, disoriented, and without any knowledge of where the three had 'vanished' to.

At this very moment I sat at a table in the corner, observing the three as they sat quietly talking amongst themselves. There was no real sound between them, people had noticed how they always seemed to communicate with quick hand gestures, or sometimes telepathy I suspect, as they would sometimes only half-speak conversations, as if the other half didn't need a verbal response. This made them even more suspicious, _What did they want from us here?_

I had spoken to Digit… er… Cyrus, a few times, however, I still couldn't get over how easily he had beaten me, so it was a tense conversation at first. He had tried to reassure me they meant no harm to Fairy Tail, and even went so far as to apologise for his 'rude' behavior during our fight, however he always avoided any question I posed about their guild, or themselves in general. It really annoyed me that I had been shown up by the teen, it annoyed me more that Natsu seemed to play it off as if it was normal for me to do so. Of course I couldn't really be truly angry at him, so I directed most of it at the younger brunette.

"Gray, the Master would like to speak to you" Mirajane said, appearing suddenly beside me. I was so focused on trying to eavesdrop the three's conversation I had not noticed her approach. I nodded to her thankfully.

"Thanks Mira, I'll see him in a minute" I said distractedly. She pouted.

"It's rude to eavesdrop Gray" she said in a scolding tone. I sighed. _Looks like I'm caught_ I thought as she went to reprimand me further, however she stopped as we noticed the three wizards get up and disappear off to somewhere else in the guild. _Did they hear us?_ I thought suddenly.

"Alright, I'm going to see Gramps now then" I said, getting up to leave. Mira nodded.

"Right. If you see Natsu tell him to go to, alright?" she asked as I began walking away. I nodded.

"Sure…" I said. _Like I would ever see him between here and Gramps's office…_ I thought as I turned the corner.

"Hey Gray" Natsu smiled.

"Oh… hey Natsu" I said unsteadily. _Really? I mean really?! Four steps… does the universe just do this to annoy me. Always give me the one thing I can't have?!_

"Did I hear my name?" Natsu asked.

"Er… Gramps wants to speak to us, apparently…" I responded quickly, trying to avoid the thoughts filling my head. Natsu nodded at me with a warm smile.

"Alright, let's go then. If that's where you were going?" Natsu replied in his usual upbeat manner.

I nodded once more. "Yeah… let's go…" _I hope it's not a job for just the two of us_ I added mentally.

/

We arrived at the Master's office to be greeted with a swift 'come in' before we even knocked. Surprised by the Master's foresight we entered, already shaken. "Hey guy's" Walter greeted us jovially.

"You're here too?" I asked, a little too quickly.

"Of course we are, we were the ones to ask for this meeting" Cyrus said. The brunette was standing rigidly near their leader, who slumped himself in one of the two chairs facing Makarov, who himself was sitting behind his desk.

"Thank you for coming quickly Gray and Natsu" the old man said politely. "We only need to wait for one more," he was quieted by the sound of knocking at the door. "Speak of the devil. Come in" he said loudly.

"Sorry for intruding, Mira just told me to come here" Lucy said as she entered the office.

"No, no, it's fine, I wanted to speak with all of you" the Master said. "You see, I've got two jobs here," he produced two flyers and lay them down on his desk, facing the group. I took a seat opposite him, whilst Natsu leaned against the wall. I could see Lucy move in my peripheral vision as she came up beside me. Blake stood quietly to the side.

"It's about us teaming up" Walter explained. "We have been on jobs with pretty much every wizard in the guild of note, except for the three of you." He made a gesture at me, Natsu and Lucy. "Although we can't tell you why, you know top secret and all that, but we can say we need to observe every member of this guild that could po…"

"Need to know, Walter" Cyrus butted in. Walter sighed.

"Yes, okay… as you can see it has to be kept secret, so we just need to spilt up into two three man teams and do these jobs quickly. Naturally we'll let each of you claim the rewards. These jobs are just some simple ones so we can gauge your skills, and then we'll leave you be, sound good?" the dark-haired Requip wizard smirked at the three from his slouched position. He probably meant it to be friendly, however he still came off as cocky.

"Which jobs should we each take?" Lucy said, eyes darting over the flyers.

"One has a slightly higher reward than the other so I'd suggest the two wizards who are willing to split that reward should go on that job, whilst the other goes with me and Blake on the other one" Cyrus said bluntly. Lucy frowned.

"Both of them are fighting jobs" she analysed. Walter nodded.

"Yeah, just some simple little fights I'm sure you three are more than capable of" he said, waving his arm in a broad gesture at all three of us. Makarov looked between the two groups.

"I hope you six can get along" he muttered. Natsu scoffed.

"Why do we even need checking; didn't you see what we could do before when you _attacked_ us" he growled. Walter laughed mildly.

"You're one to talk, you didn't fight pinkie" he retorted. I smirked slightly, hearing Natsu get agitated was still amusing.

"Natsu, be civil" Makarov warned. "Anyways, because of the nature of your past interactions, and what I know of your powers I agree with Cyrus, it would be better for Gray and Lucy to go on the job with Walter, whilst Cyrus and Blake accompany Natsu on the other job, okay with you?" I glanced over the offered job, it just seemed to be some standard escort job to scout a road for bandits whilst some merchant caravan moves through. Not too difficult.

"Yeah fine…" I said tiredly. _At least I'm not stuck with Natsu_ I thought hopefully. Lucy agreed too.

"Sounds fun" she said cheerily. Walter nodded.

"It'll be a pleasure to work with you two" he offered us a hand shake. I took it half-heartedly.

"Yeah… you too…" I muttered. Natsu went to protest, however the decision of the Master, and the agreement made between me and Lucy pretty much closed the matter for discussion.

"Do not worry, Mister Dragneel, we will make quick work of the bandits this job flyer asks us to take out, then we can part ways. It'll just be for one night and one day" Cyrus said. Blake made a few quick hand signs, which Cyrus read and smirked at. "He says; if you want he can speed up the process of taking them out with a little _trick_ ". Natsu looked to the other mage confusedly. No one had seen him use his magic yet, and everyone who went on jobs with him said that he never spoke a word, only used hand signs to communicate, which either Cyrus or Walter would translate. He was a total mystery, and it didn't take a genius to work out Natsu was a little afraid of him.

"Okay…" the Fire Dragon Slayer agreed at last, earning a smile from all three of the other wizards.

/

We went on the job the following day, Walter meeting me and Lucy as we entered the guild. "Goooood morning" he greeted cheerily, "Looks like you two need some coffee" he produced two cups of it from in amongst the stuff he had scattered around his table. I mumbled a quick 'thank you' as me and Lucy each took the offered drink.

"Ow… hot…" Lucy breathed after taking a sip. I smirked as I allowed my magic to flow to my palms, cooling the drink instantly to a drinkable, warm temperature. "Wow gray, do that for me" Lucy said, jutting her arm out to offer me her cup. I sighed as I repeated the process for hers, deliberately lowering it a little more than mine. "Thanks… that's much cooler now" she said graciously.

I smirked, clearly she hadn't noticed it would be too cold to drink soon. "I was just going over a map, seems we can get there by magic mobile in forty minutes, nearly, we'll have to walk a little before we reach the rendezvous point with the caravan" Walter said, folding up a map and putting it into his jacket pocket, along with a couple of pens, a small book, and a compass. After he had done that he glowed momentarily and the blue suit jacket he was wearing was replaced with a dark green one, with matching dark green trousers, and a lighter green waistcoat. His red tie and white shirt remained the same. I smiled slightly as I realised that he also used his magic for wardrobe changes; _Just like Erza_ I commented mentally. Lucy looked between us as we both finished off our coffees, putting the cups down on the table for Mira or Kinana to clear up whenever they passed by later.

"Right, let's go then" Lucy said, small bag strapped over her shoulder jumping at the sudden movement. Walter nodded to me.

"Yeah, you ready?" he asked calmly. I nodded.

"Sure. But if we're taking a magic mobile I want to drive" I said as we left the guild hall. Walter smirked.

"I wanted to" he whined mockingly "I know… I'll let you have it _if_ you can beat me at an arm wrestle" he smirked. I couldn't help but smile at his challenge.

"Fine, you're on" I agreed. We could hear Lucy sigh as we walked over to the only place in Magnolia which had rentable magic mobiles.

"Stupid boys…" she grumbled.

/

 **Sometime later**

After a five-minute arm wrestle, Walter ultimately won because, despite us both using our magic to try to take the advantage, me by using my ice to freeze his arm and him by using his Swift to increase the speed his arm was moving, he was just physically stronger than me. The subsequent ten-minute argument that ensued became pretty irrelevant, I admit, and ended only after Lucy threatened us both with her Virgo key and her Leo key together. Annoyed that I had lost I got in the car as Walter triumphantly took the driver's seat, and with one final laugh he sent the vehicle speeding onwards as we left Magnolia behind us.

"Stupid number…" I grumbled, lounging on one side of the vehicle, Lucy pouting on the other.

"It would've gone a lot quicker if you just put that silly little game behind you and admitted you lost" she said, exasperated. I exhaled, she was right, however it annoyed me at how right. _This isn't the first time she's broken up arguments I've been involved in, of course, so she knows I like to win… especially against Natsu._

Getting into the vehicle had reminded me that I would have nearly two days of Fire Dragon free time. I could admit to myself I missed Natsu's challenges and his hot headedness, however I was glad we didn't have to deal with all his heaving and retching for the whole ride. _He's somebody else's problem now_ I thought evilly, the smirk forming on my face as I pictured Cyrus and Blake having to put up with his complaints. Of course they'd probably have some way of dealing with it, that's just the way my luck was going. I bet Natsu would get all the luck too, maybe find some stupid treasure whilst he's roaming aimlessly in the forest, becoming a damned millionaire. It wouldn't surprise me; I always get dealt the bad hand.

Although right now that wasn't true, I couldn't have thought of anything better than two days free from Natsu, especially since that could help me sort out my own _issues_. To make things better I was getting paid for a job that was basically _really_ easy guard duty for some paranoid merchant; a few days just travelling, without any other distraction. A perfect little break, away from all my other problems. I smiled a little more contentedly as I closed my eyes and dozed in a semi-conscious state. The only damned thing on my mind was what I was going to have to do on the job, well, that and a few images of a _certain_ Dragon Slayer.

/

True to his word, Walter arrived very near the rendezvous point in forty minutes. I was impressed with his driving skills; despite his age he had managed to kept the vehicle steady over some pretty rugged terrain. _I couldn't have done it that smoothly_ I admitted silently as I clambered out from the carriage. Lucy stretched out as I tried to analyze the area we were currently in. It seemed to be a rugged plateau, with a small wood beyond. Walter jumped down from the driver's seat with a smirk.

"We're about a ten minutes' walk from the site" he pointed in the direction parallel to the wood, "If we follow the woods down that way then we should arrive in time to meet the client and discuss our role on this job. From the flyer he seemed to want us to head on in front of the caravan just to take down any problems before they hit the merchants" the dark-haired teen said. I nodded in understanding as Lucy looked over to where we had to walk.

"Right, let's get moving then" I said a bit more energetically then I had been in the transit.

Walter nodded. "Yeah, the quicker this is over the quicker you're rid of me" he added jovially. I chuckled slightly as we began to make our way down to the wood's edge.

Lucy moaned something about walking through the brush, however I ignored her complaints for the most part.

/

 **Later that evening**

I lay about on my sleeping bag. We had done exactly as the merchant had said and cleared the road for them to quickly pass by. It took only a few hours for the caravan to pass through the wooded area and make its way over to the intended town. There we bid them farewell as me and Walter agreed, much to Lucy's annoyance, that the way through the woods would be the quickest back. We had agreed that we would find somewhere relatively safe and then sleep out under the stars for the night, before making our way back to the magic mobile to use it to get back to Magnolia tomorrow morning.

Despite the distraction the job had provided me I still couldn't help but fixate on one or two thoughts. Every so often I would see Walter pop his head out from around a corner, or from out of a tree as we were scouting ahead and every time I would find myself expecting to see the pink haired Fire Dragon Slayer. I actually called him 'Natsu' once, however he laughed it off as he said "I know I'm not the one you expected, but remember who you're on this job with". I couldn't help but feel guilty for expecting Natsu right after I had been so happy to have ditched him. _What is wrong with me?_ I thought as I wandered through the town with Lucy and Walter, _Why can't I just be normal and not obsess over that pink haired idiot_? It was really frustrating that night when every time I tried to get to sleep pictures of Natsu would flow through my mind, keeping me awake. After a while I gave up on sleep and just lay awake looking up at the night sky and the twinkling lights hanging there. This didn't help either as I remembered me and Natsu laying like this on a job, each of us unable to get to sleep for one reason or another and so we just sat and looked at the stars.

"I need to deal with this…" I said aloud without realising. As soon as I said it I looked over to Lucy, however she was sound asleep. _That was stupid_ I reprimanded myself silently.

"You awake, Gray?" a voice whispered from behind me. I looked over to see Walter sitting at the base of a tree, a book in his hand.

"You're awake" I said suddenly. Walter smirked at me.

"Why'd that surprise you? Did you think you could just get away with talking aloud?" he said amusedly, eyes still scanning the book he was holding.

"No, it's not like that… I just…" I could find my words. Walter closed the book it faded away.

"You've got a problem, right? Something you don't want people to know?" he said, not so much a question in his tone as a statement.

I looked at him with surprise. "Er… yeah" I admitted quietly, gaze darting over to Lucy to make sure she couldn't hear any of this. Walter seemed to follow my gaze.

"You know… if you don't want her to know about it talking aloud probably isn't a very good idea" he commented, his tone becoming sarcastic. I shot him a glare.

"You know… it's bad to eaves drop on people and hide in the shadows" I said, my tone equally as sarcastic as his, but with a lot more anger.

Walter held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, I get it, it's private. I'll butt out… although… if you need someone to talk to I _will_ listen, and I would _never_ repeat it to anyone" he said, voice even and steady. I looked him up and down, his grin on his face making it hard to believe him.

"What are you up for, anyways?" I asked, trying to avoid him asking any more questions.

Walter shrugged. "Couldn't sleep so I figured I'd keep watch" he said. I snorted derisively.

"Didn't look like you were keeping a very good watch, reading that book. How can you read in this darkness anyways?" I said, genuinely interested. This guy was such a mystery to me learning even little things like that made it easier for me to judge how trustworthy he was. Walter shrugged again.

"I've got good eyes in the dark" he said, "But is that really all you want to ask me? Or tell me?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

I turned over to avoid looking at him. _How could I tell him this? He's from a different guild… and he doesn't know shit…_ I thought quietly, unspeaking for a few minutes. _Although… if he really won't tell anyone… maybe he could give me some kind of advice… if I phrase it right…_

"Err... Walter… would you really not tell anyone?" I said hesitantly. I didn't even know if he was still there, and I didn't want to turn around in case I gave anything away with my face. It took him a few minutes to respond, when he did he was confident, and friendly.

"Of course I wouldn't. Regardless of what you may think of me I believe private stuff should be kept private until the person decides to tell anyone" he said. I finally decided to turn back and face him, only to find him standing about a pace away from me, a smile on his face. "Although if you want to keep this quiet we'll need to move away from camp for a minute" Walter added. I looked up at him and nodded. _Now I've just got to be careful with what I say…_ I thought as I got up and followed him a little way away from our makeshift campsite, the trees providing a blanket of darkness to conceal us as we continued on into the forest. Once we stopped I realised that Walter had brought me to a little pond attached to a river. We had used it to wash up before we all went to sleep a little earlier. He sat by the bank, picking up a few stones.

"Why don't you take a moment and decide what you want to tell me" the dark haired wizard said as I slumped myself against a tree. I breathed in, however no words formed. I tried to think of what I could say but suddenly found myself dumb, unable to speak a word despite how really badly I just wanted to admit to someone that I loved Natsu. _But you can't even admit it to yourself_ the idea popped into my head as quickly as it was unwanted. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, broken only by the plopping of stones Walter was skimming across the water, I eventually got up, deciding to just call it off. "Not able to say it?" he asked suddenly. I stopped in my tracks as he turned around to look directly at me. I nodded at him hesitantly. He smiled, not really aggressive, or even arrogant, as his other smiles had bee, just a smile of reassurance. "How about this, if I guess correctly what your problem is then you either shake your head and walk away, or you nod and I can try to help you, sound good?" he cocked his head slightly, patiently waiting for my reply. Eventually I nodded.

"Okay…" I said quietly. Walter nodded in understanding.

"Right… okay… so it's clearly personal… and you don't want to tell anyone. This suggests it's something deeply private or emotional… you didn't kill someone important?" I shook my head violently. _That would be easier to explain than this…_ I thought sadly. "Okay… so if it's not that… you love someone" I kept quiet, he smirked knowingly and continued, "So you do. Right then… if you didn't want Lucy to know then it's not her, but someone she knows… that means a guild member… based on the way you acted in the guild hall… oh… I know…" his eyes positively sparkled in the moonlight. "It's the _idiot_ , right?" I was stunned to silence. He must have worked it out, however 'the idiot' was not definitive, I needed a little more proof.

"Who?" I asked quietly, finding myself hoping he'd get it right, like I was watching some game, and I was supporting one side's victory over another.

Walter stood up and walked over to me, getting very close. "Natsu Dragneel?" he whispered, before pulling away to observe me. "Oh… I was right" he said after a moment. It took me a moment to recover from the reality that he had figured it out after only knowing us for a week. My first thought; _Does that mean others know?_

I nodded my head before I realised I was doing so. Walter smiled and went to sit a little distance away, but still close enough to whisper. "That really is something private… and I can see how you wouldn't want others to know… however I want you to know I wouldn't _ever_ judge you on that" he said reassuringly. I now found the words I wanted to say.

"How did you know it was him?" I asked quietly.

/

Walter took a moment in answering, the suspense eating away at me. When he did it was with a smile, as usual. "Well… after a couple of days at the guild I began to figure out how most people treated each other, you included. You always seemed to avoid the Dragon Slayer, but he never avoided you, that suggests this is your choice and not his. It also suggests that you haven't told him this, or he isn't aware you're doing it, which, with his ignorance, is more likely. You also only ever seem to speak to him either to fight him, brawl with him, argue, or insult. This suggests an emotional connection…" Walter paused for a moment to draw in another breath, "When you were being kept awake, I noticed you look up at the stars before that little 'talking aloud' thing. After agreeing to talk about it with me I guessed it would be about something you were worried your guild would know, so that meant it had to be about the guild… or about something they would hate you for, hence my first guess. Since that was wrong, clearly by your reaction, that meant the former, it being about the guild. Looking back on all possible information I had on you there was three possibilities… you loved Lucy, although I figured that would cause less of a fuss so it wouldn't worry you like this, Cana, because you'd be afraid of Gildarts finding out, or finally Natsu. I took a random guess after that." He finished. I sat amazed by his quick thinking and analysis.

"Are all three of you like that?" I asked unexpectedly. Walter looked at me confusedly.

"Like what?" he asked. I smiled slightly, despite my secret being found out so easily, I felt oddly at ease.

"Analytical. Digit… or Cyrus was like that in our fight" I said, an image of the brunette popping into my head, reminding me Natsu was far away right now. _That's probably for the best, if he was sleeping over there he would've woken up at us moving away, and would definitely have heard us talking at this distance_ I thought, thankful, again, at the lack of Dragon Slayer.

"Oh… yeah… I suppose… it was part of our training so we are all good at getting data and stuff" Walter said. His tone made it sound like he was embarrassed about this. "But anyways… about you… I think you should admit this, not to Natsu, or to anyone else yet… you need to admit it to yourself" he sounded serious all of a sudden, none of his usual cocky tone or arrogance, just plain and simple.

"Er… how would you… know?" I said without thinking. Walter nodded.

"I admit I don't have to same problems as you however… would it help if I told you something too…" he hesitated for me to agree. I did so by nodding and he continued. "I kind of… _bat for both sides_ … if you know what I mean". I stopped for a moment, unable to work it out for a good few minutes, before finally I realised.

"You mean you like… both genders?" I asked quietly. Walter nodded quickly.

"Yeah, is that okay with you?" he asked. "You know I won't tell about this, but only if you don't about me" he added. I agreed hastily.

"Of course I won't say, you know that would be a bit hypocritical of me, right?" I smiled again. Walter smiled too.

"That's true" he said. "But like I said… I know it might be hard, but you need to admit this to yourself, and then… I'd tell Natsu… it's clear you like him a lot…" he finished, getting up. I followed him silently back to camp, whispering a little 'thank you' as we walked. He nodded at me, signaling his acceptance of it.

 _I need to admit it to myself… then I tell Natsu_ I resolved. _I'm gay… I love Natsu Dragneel… I'm going to tell him when I get back… at least that way I'll know how he feels about it too…_

/

 **Natsu POV, on the job**

The bandits had us surrounded, there was about twenty of them. They grinned evilly as they drew blades and other weapons. "You're the wizards they sent" they snarled "You can't beat us". I didn't give them time to respond further, all I did was conjure flames and bring them all down in one blow as more appeared. Cyrus had told me not to bother talking with them and just attack, so I did. Ever since I left the guild Cyrus had instructed me on what he wanted me to do, in order for his plan to succeed and for the 'minimum amount of time to be spent on the job as possible'. I didn't argue.

 _I want to get back to the guild as soon as possible… two days without them is just too long_ I thought as my Fire Dragon Iron Fist bashed its way through the faces of some more bandits. There was nearly thirty of them now, however it did not matter. They'd all burn the same.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack" I bellowed as I sent flames out to engulf a large amount of them. Several of the surrounding trees were also scorched. Cyrus ran out from the trees, quickly scanning over the pile of defeated bandits I had heaped up.

"That was quicker than I had expected Natsu" he stated, "however there are about thirty more coming this way, I'll deal with them, whilst the other thirty that tried to flank us will be dealt with by Blake" he explained further as a group of more bandits appeared from out of the trees.

"There they are!" they pointed and charged. I braced myself for a fight, however Cyrus just smirked as runes lit up the area around them. Bright violet luminescent flowing from the trees around us, making a circle.

"Whilst you dealt with those guys I took out a few and set this trap up, all of them will be contained" he said. The violet light glowed brighter. "The runes command for 'gravity, force, trap'" he directed this at the bandits, who were now each floating in a small purple bubble of magic, "You'll be held in there for twenty-four hours, long enough for the Magic Council to figure out what to do with you". I looked on impressed. The brown haired mage had set up this trap and taken out another portion of the bandits in the time it had taken me to defeat the thirty-something bandits that lay unconscious in bubbles of their own. Cyrus grinned further as Blake appeared from the forest.

He sent a smile to us and made a quick few hand signs. "He's dealt with the ones that he was sent to, and he used his magic to make sure they'll remain asleep for around a day or so as well" Cyrus translated for me. I cocked my head and looked skeptically at the wizard dressed in a dark suit that stood grinning a few feet away from me. As far as anyone in the guild was aware he was powerful, as he had proven capable of defeating many foes at once on several of the jobs he had been on, however no one had seen him ever use his magic, so not one person knew what it was, save his two companions. I wanted to ask about it too, however now was not the time. _I just want to get back_ … I thought.

Suddenly an arrow pierced a tree a few inches away from Cyrus, who had dodged in a very rapid motion. "I see you've defeated my friends" a man said as he appeared. He wore the same emblem all the bandits wore. He was their leader.

Cyrus smirked cockily, it seemed to be the only genuine expression he could form. "You're their leader, one Blade, who's magic is so pathetically weak I could defeat you right now without much effort" he said, voice cool, calm, and collected. Blade smirked back.

"That may be true, however I have a few _other_ friends that _would_ hold their own…" he whistled as two figures appeared on either side of him. One was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair, and bright green eyes, the other was a man who only appeared half awake, wearing some weird baggy clothing that reminded me of pajamas. The tired man yawned, Blake and Cyrus immediately leapt to a defensive stance. "Natsu, watch out…" Cyrus warned suddenly. _What could be so dangerous about this man_? "This guy's dangerous, we can't be touched by his magic".

"Should I just send them into eternal sleep" the man said, directing this question to the woman. She shook her head.

"No, just knock 'em out so I can bring 'em back with me" she responded, voice velvety and soft.

I called flames up to my fists ready to attack, however before I could do anything more I felt a sudden weight drag at my body. The man had held up one arm, hanging it lazily in the air, as a sand-like substance made the air suffocating and dense. In the time it took me to blink he had all three of us caught in a miasma of this substance.

"I… feel wi… weird" I mumbled. Cyrus nodded grimly, he too seemed effected by it.

"I told you to… be careful…" he looked to Blake, who seemed to be the only one of us standing up straight. "You know… what to do… I can't use my… magic like this… tell Walter…" he said, voice becoming fainter as he collapsed suddenly. Blake caught him and nodded at me. The last image I saw before I passed out too was a bright flash of white light and Blake suddenly gone. Then there was only blackness.

 _Gray_ …

 **Chapter 3 End**

 **Next Chapter; Captured**


	4. Chapter 4 - Captured

**Chapter 4 – Captured**

 **Gray POV**

We returned to the guild the following morning. I had slept quite soundly after my talk with Walter. He had continued to stay awake throughout the night, and when I woke up I found him reading again, with Lucy busy getting ready to leave. He gave me a slight nod and wink, making sure Lucy wasn't watching. I was equally careful and nodded back to him, a smile on my lips.

 _I can't believe I told someone… well… at least now I know I can talk to one person about it, however first I've got to talk to Natsu about it too… maybe he feels the same_ I thought hopefully as I packed my stuff away and got ready to leave too.

 _I just hope he doesn't hate me for it_.

/

We found the magic mobile exactly as we had left it and returned to the guild in a little over forty minutes. Since Walter hadn't slept all night I drove it back to Magnolia, however I was nowhere near as quick over the terrain as he had been. Lucy popped her head out of the window every so often to remind me that she was in the vehicle too and to 'stop tossing it around so much', however no matter how hard I tried I could not drive it as effectively as Walter. _Damn him_ I cursed as I sped over another bump. Surprisingly he had remained quiet, and, according to Lucy, was even asleep. _He can really sleep in this?!_

Everything I had learned about him so far seemed to surprise me more than the last. When I left Magnolia I knew nothing about him save for a few rumors and what I had seen in his fight with Erza, however now I oddly knew a _little secret_ about him, as well as other things, like his good night vision, and his ability to sleep in even the weirdest places. _Man, he really is a weird guy_ I thought amusedly, _but at least he helped me_.

When Magnolia came into view I heard Walter beginning to wake up in the carriage. "G'morning" he mumbled at me as he shoved his head out of the window. I didn't reply as I was too busy focusing on driving the car over some muddy field. I could hear him laughing beside me.

"Shut up" I barked at him, knowing he was going to comment on my driving.

"But all I wanted to say was you drive a lot more _fun_ than me… not as safe though" he giggled.

"I thought I said shut up" I retorted, Walter grinned and disappeared back into the vehicle carriage.

Once I reached more level ground I slowed the magic mobile down a little so I could more easily get it through Magnolia and back to the renting place. It took me only five minutes to negotiate the streets and park the thing back in shop we rented it from. The owner commented on a little mud I had splashed along one side, however other than that it was in perfect condition. Walter insisted he would pay for the car, since it was his idea to get it, and then we headed back to the guild. As we walked I glanced over to the Requip mage. He hadn't said anything to us after we left the shop and it was becoming a little unnerving.

Lucy fell into step beside me whilst Walter continued walking just ahead of us. "Did you two talk last night, only… I thought I could hear mumbling sounds?" she whispered. I immediately stopped, only to have to take a few quick steps to catch up with her. _Did she hear_? I panicked.

"Er… well… I was awake, and he couldn't get to sleep so we talked, yeah…." I said with what I hoped was a calm tone. Lucy shrugged.

"Fine. I sort of woke up and went back to sleep, however I wasn't sure so I just asked…" she explained. I nodded.

"Alright."

She smirked at me. "Did you find out anything about him?" she whispered, obviously trying to stop Walter from hearing us, however he seemed distracted by his own thoughts.

"No. He was secretive as always" I lied quickly, "We did talk about some stuff though, like the difference between his and Erza's magic, and a little about what kind of training he had in his magic" I added, trying to build up the lie. Lucy pouted.

"You should have tried harder Gray" she complained. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Maybe I'm not as _interested_ in him as you are" I sent her a wink and a devilish look. She hit me roughly on the arm.

"Shut it Gray, I don't like him like _that_. I just wanted to know some stuff about him" she said whiningly.

"Well my favorite colour is blue, and I like parfait desserts… oh, and also ice cream cake" Walter spoke up, walking backwards to face us and sending us both a grin.

"You could hear us?" Lucy commented with surprise. He nodded.

"Of course, your both terrible at keeping quiet, just like most of your guild" Walter commented back, speaking in a childish tone. Lucy swung her hand out to reach him, most likely to slap him around some, however he back stepped elegantly and sent her sprawling out in front of me, which I then had to dodge to avoid stepping on her.

"I hate you both" Lucy whined as she got back up, "I'm going home, you two can go to the guild on your own" she stomped off in the direction of her apartment. I laughed a little at her childishness before I noticed Walter was once again looking off distantly. I cocked my head.

"Something wrong?" I asked. He took a moment before he looked at me again.

"Oh… er… maybe… I'm not sure" he answered. This made me even more intrigued. "Let's get to the guild, I want to check something" he added, before turning on his heel and moving, much quicker than before, towards the guildhall. _What's got him worked up?_ I thought as I ran to catch up with him.

/

We reached the guild in no time. Walter had not spoken another word since he bolted and I was panting as I entered the hall. Other members stopped to stare at us. For all they knew we had set out on a job yesterday and now we were dashing into the guild, Walter wearing a very serious expression.

He walked over to Mirajane whilst I plonked down onto a chair. "Hey Mirajane, do you know where Master Makarov is?" Walter asked quickly. She nodded.

"Yes, he's in his office, why? Did something happen?" she replied, voice and face the picture of concern. Walter shrugged.

"I just need to speak to him, thank you" he said, before rushing off to find Gramps. I looked on confusedly as Mira came over to me.

"Did something happen on your job Gray?" she asked, "And where's Lucy?" I had to take in a few breaths before I responded.

"Lucy went home in a bad mood because we sort of… made a little fun of her" I admitted, earning a scolding look from Mirajane, "Although the job went perfectly, Walter just started acting weird as he walked towards the guild. Wouldn't explain why" I added. Mirajane looked over to the direction the Requip mage had gone.

"What's all the fuss?" Cana asked, bag slung over her shoulder. Clearly she had just come back from a job too.

"Er… it's kind of weird" I answered the Card mage quickly. Mirajane bustled off to the counter to answer the customers' orders, whilst Cana sat down next to me.

"Did you fuck up your job or something?" she asked, her breath already smelling more alcoholic than the strongest vodka imaginable.

"No, it went great" I said, "Walter started acting weird when we got back though". Cana pouted.

"Never know what's going through those three's heads, they're really creepy" she commented. I frowned.

"Do you know where Natsu is?" I asked her suddenly. She gave it some thought.

"I only got back an hour or so ago, but I haven't seen him" she said, before turning to look over my shoulder at Macao and Wakaba, "Have you guys seen Natsu?" the drunk shouted. Macao scolded her for being so loud but answered her question.

"No, he should've been back by now, right?" the Fire wizard answered. I shrugged at him.

"Maybe they ran into an extra problem or something" I replied. Macao shrugged back before returning to his conversation. Cana pulled out another bottle of alcohol.

"I don't know, if you want to see him that bad go find Happy" she said, before focusing on her drinking. I thanked her for her help and got up, taking her advice and going to see if I could locate the blue exceed.

 _And just when I need to see him he isn't fucking here…_ I cursed.

/

 **A little while later**

I ran around Magnolia on a wild goose chase. Natsu was definitely not back yet and Happy didn't know where he was either. I had run into the exceed with Wendy and Carla at the market, however they had not seen Happy's partner either. _Damn it Natsu_ I swore inwardly as I once more walked up to the guild. As soon as I entered I was met with frantic confusion. People ran everywhere, tidying things up and just looking busy in general. I approached Gajeel, who was standing well out of all the commotion. "What's going on?" I asked the Iron Dragon Slayer. He grunted and gestured with a nod of the head over towards the center of the hall, where a large number of people were gathered. Many of them were doctors.

"See for yourself" he grunted. I sighed and made my way through the throng of people to see what was going on. I gasped in shock as I took in the sight before me.

Blake was laying on a table, only slightly conscious, tossing and turning. Wendy was kneeling beside him, magic trying to heal what seemed to be ailing him. Walter stood with Gramps to one side, observing nervously as the black haired wizard was treated. Eventually Wendy pulled away. "He's going to be okay" she declared, "he was under some sort of curse". Walter showed visible signs of relief as Makarov went over to the littler Dragon Slayer.

"Good work Wendy, you go rest now" he complimented her. She nodded and was whisked off with Carla to a quiet corner of the guild. "Is he awake?" Makarov asked the few wizard close enough to see. They nodded.

"We think so… or at least waking up" one replied. Makarov nodded.

"Right, Walter, get him to the infirmary," Walter worked quickly, taking Blake up in his arms, but unable to fully carry the wizard. I did not waste another second, but rather leapt forward to grab the other arm and lift him. Walter sent me a silent thank you as we edged our way over to the infirmary, Makarov, Mirajane, and Erza all close behind. Lucy joined the group too as we passed her, whispering something to Erza that I could not hear.

We laid Blake down carefully on one of the infirmary beds. Makarov had apparently sent someone to fetch Porlyusica, however that would take time, so Wendy had administered what treatment she could. Once we had done that Walter sat down in the chair beside the bed, whilst the rest of us gave him a little space, forming a group near to the end of the bed, with Makarov at the front.

Blake tossed slightly then opened his eyes. "Whoa…" Walter said as Blake tried to get up. "Be careful, we just found you and brought you to the guild hall" he explained as Blake looked around.

"Maybe you could tell us what happened?" Makarov asked. Blake nodded to him and made a hand sign to Walter.

"He asks if he could borrow a pen or something to write on" he translated. Makarov nodded in understanding.

"Mira, could you go ask if Reedus has a light pen we could borrow" he said to the Take Over mage beside him. She nodded and bustled away.

I looked skeptically at the dark haired wizard. _What happened to him… and to Natsu…_

/

 **Natsu POV**

I awoke with a jolt and immediately sat up, only to knock my head off of something hard before I even opened my eyes. "Ow…" I cursed, rubbing my head. I heard a slight sigh beside me and opened my eyes. I was met with the image of a dark cell, metal bars facing directly opposite me. Cyrus sat, back against one of the three brick walls to either side of us. I noticed he looked a lot more fearful than usual. "Awake now, are you?" he asked, directing his gaze at me.

"Yeah… what happened?" I asked. I could remember the weird man and woman, as well as the sudden tiredness, however after that it was total darkness. Cyrus looked to me for a moment.

"Still tired?" he asked concernedly. I nodded sluggishly.

"It feels like all my muscles are jelly" I said, trying and failing to flex my arms.

Cyrus took all this in before he responded. "Yeah, it'll do that" he said. I looked at the defeated look on his face and remembered suddenly the quick reaction he had to those two's presence.

"Who were those two? You recognized them, right?" I asked the Script mage. He sighed and lowered his head so it was resting on his knees.

"Yeah. We've been caught by them. There's no point using your magic here, it'll just get drained…" he said. I grew a little more impatient at his defeated tone and his refusal to answer my questions.

"Just tell me, if I've been trapped by someone I need to know who it is so I can go and kick their head in afterwards" I said a little temperamentally.

Cyrus laughed, cold and brittle. "You'd like to know that, but you wouldn't be able to kick _their_ head's in" he commented, "However… I suppose that you will need to know" he added. I then realised that he was fully aware of something which I had not realised yet.

"Tell me, or I'll kick _your_ head in then" I growled, annoyed now. He turned his gaze away from me and to the cell bars. There didn't seem to be anything else in this corridor except for our prison.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but if we do get out of here you can't tell anyone" he said, voice going back to his level, calm self. I grunted in disapproval, but nodded regardless. "Fine we've been caught by, and I say this quite literally, real nightmares" he said. I looked at him confused, but right then a laugh sounded from the space outside the cell.

"Divulging information you shouldn't, eh Digit" a voice sounded. A man appeared, the same one who led the bandits. He had a wiry, short, mustache and a short, almost military, haircut, but other than that was completely normal.

"I take it they told you" Cyrus/Digit responded. The man snorted.

"Of course, now… I've come for the Dragon" he pointed at me, holding up a pair of cuffs, "They want to _speak_ to you". I wanted to fight this guy so bad, however my muscles were just too weak, so I let him cuff me and drag me off, laughing as he locked the cell, entrapping Cyrus once more. Cyrus mouthed a quick 'be careful' before I was completely out of sight.

 _What did he mean 'real nightmares'?_ I thought frantically as I was hauled away, _And what does he know about them that I don't?_

/

 **Gray POV**

Blake sat, waiting for Mira to reappear. He looked tense, as did Walter. They both seemed reclusive. _Probably using telepathy,_ I thought. I was getting anxious, if this guy was as beat up as he was, then I worried about how Natsu would be. _Natsu…_

Soon Mira returned carrying the light pen in hand, as well as an ordinary pen and paper. She offered them to Blake, who took the light pen and gestured to Walter to take the others. She smiled as she rejoined the group. By now we had split up a bit, with Lucy and Erza leaning to one side, watching everyone carefully and talking amongst themselves. Makarov had sat on the bed next to Blake's, with Walter between him and the black haired wizard. I just leaned back against the wall opposite Blake's bed, deep in my growing worry.

Once he had the pen he made a gesture to Walter, who translated it for us. "He asks what we would like to know first" he said aloud. Makarov nodded.

"How about you start with what happened on the job?" he offered, Blake nodded.

He began writing in the air with the pen.

WE WENT TO FIGHT THE BANDITS RIGHT AFTER MEETING THE CLIENT,  
IT WAS ALL GOOD AS WE BEAT MOST OF THE BANDITS WITHOUT INCIDENT,  
THANKS TO CYRUS AND HIS STRATEGY.

BUT THEN… STUFF HAPPENED,

TWO PEOPLE SHOWED UP AND THEY USED A SLEEP SPELL ON US THREE, HOWEVER I ESCAPED,  
THE LAST THING CYRUS TOLD ME TO DO BEFORE HE FELL WAS TO TELL WALTER SO I CAME BACK HERE.

He stopped writing. I read the words and my eyes grew wider. "What happened to Natsu?" I barked out suddenly, without realising. Lucy and Erza gave me a funny look, however Blake seemed unperturbed. He shrugged and began writing again.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY,  
I GUESS THEY TOOK THEM HOSTAGE OR PRISONER. THE WOMAN THAT WAS IN THE PAIR SEEMED LIKE THE TYPE TO DO THAT. SHE TOLD THE GUY WHO KNOCKED THEM OUT TO PUT US TO SLEEP RATHER THAN KILL US.

I read the words and inhaled a few breaths. _Natsu might be okay…_ I thought, trying to keep myself calm. Makarov seemed to be thinking too, so Walter spoke up next.

"Who were the ones who took them?" he asked. Blake cocked his head, as if to say 'you can't tell them', however Walter shook his head and made a hand sign which Blake read. We watched the exchange carefully, clearly the two were covering something.

IT WAS TARGETS 4 AND 7

The words confused us all, however Walter nodded carefully. "Alright, you may need to be told a little about this, but it's need to know so you gotta keep it a secret" he said, directing this to all of us. Makarov nodded in agreement, his face telling me he already knew something about this. Erza and Lucy agreed hesitantly, before looking to me. I nodded quickly.

"Fine" I sighed. Walter nodded, face serious.

"There was a reason we came here and a reason we went on your jobs," he said, "we've been sent to deal with some people. Twelve to be exact."

Erza looked at him intently. "What people?" she asked bluntly. Makarov nodded in agreement to her question.

"We may not divulge anything more than this; they are dangerous and powerful wizards. We need to deal with each of them and we came to Fairy Tail because we have already had some experience, our guild that is, in working with Makarov and his team several years ago. This mission is not even from the Magic Council, but rather from a select group within the council that we work for" Walter explained slowly. "The targets here, 4 and 7, are a two-man group that consists of the wizards which we nickname 'Sandman' and 'Succubus'. They each have a unique ability, Sandman can put people to sleep instantly, he'll have been the one to take down Natsu and Cyrus, whereas Succubus is the leader, her Temptation Magic can make any man a slave… when certain conditions are met" he was careful in his phrasing at that last part.

"You used us as bait?" Lucy asked in shock. I gritted my teeth, if that was true I was going to beat them both to a pulp for bringing harm to Natsu.

"Wait… you said conditions, what conditions?" I asked suddenly, only just realising what he had said last. Walter rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well… err… it's kind of hard to… explain…" he stammered, going slightly red. Blake rolled his eyes and wrote something quickly in the air before Walter could stop him. "Blake don…"

SHE HAS TO HAVE SEX WITH THEM ONCE.

I read the words and a cold feeling grew inside my chest. _Does that mean… she'll… Natsu_ The thought filled me with a great sense of dread and instantly I noticed Walter's look directed at me. Pity. _He knew this and didn't want to upset me_ I thought, _But Natsu is… he'll be…_

"We've got to save them" I declared, voice and tone carefully measured so as not to reveal the pain I was feeling inside. Makarov looked at me incredulously, surprised, clearly, by my sudden declaration.

"Yes, we do, we will save them" he mumbled "But it's a secret and the Council will just ask us to forget about them rather than save them" he added, obviously annoyed by the truth in his own words. Walter looked at the old man as Erza spoke.

"If we want to do that we'll need a powerful team" she said.

"We've got one, look around you" Walter said, "It may be a secret, however that doesn't mean we can't have other members help, just so long as they don't learn of the other two's abilities or our reasons for being here everything is fine". Lucy smiled.

"We've got to save Natsu after he's saved us so many times" she declared.

"I've got just the team in mind for this" Makarov said, "Walter, may I discuss this with you for a moment" he nodded, "and the rest of you get ready because you'll be leaving tonight".

/

 **Later that evening**

The team accumulated at the outskirts of Magnolia. Gramps and Walter had talked it over and thought it best to form two teams, one under Walter's command, along with Blake, and one under Erza's command, to attack the enemy base from the inside and outside respectively. There would be seven people to each team, not including the leaders, and Makarov would remain at the guild to contact the Council and inform them of their intentions, after the mission had gone underway to prevent them from stopping it, of course. I was part of Walter's team alongside Lucy, Wendy, Gajeel, Mirajane, Laxus and Freed, our role was to infiltrate the base and find and rescue Natsu and Cyrus. On Erza's team there was Bickslow and Evergreen, as well as Cana, Jet, Droy, Levy and Elfman who would help Erza attack the base from the outside and provide a distraction.

As each group set off they each went through the plan one more time. From the place where Blake was attacked Walter had worked out they would be hiding out in an abandoned castle not too far from the forest. Erza's group would approach head on, fighting their way through as many as possible, whilst me and the others in Walter's team would sneak behind and break our way in through an unused, underground pathway.

After one final run down both teams left, and after a short move over the hill side they would be in the range of the castle. "Luckily, Natsu's job wasn't too far from Magnolia" Walter commented quietly as our group made it to the allocated point a few minutes early. We had only left Fairy Tail about an hour ago.

"You gonna tell us who we're facing" Laxus asked. He had already insisted several times on knowing more, however Walter stood adamant that it was 'need to know'.

"Need to-"

"Know" Laxus finished, sighing tiredly, "Whatever, I'm still gonna beat them up for capturing Natsu". All of us felt the same; when one member of the guild was threatened you threatened the whole guild, and these guys were going to find out why that was not a good idea.

After a few more minutes of tense waiting we heard the sound we had all been waiting for. "Everyone, to battle!". It was Erza, leading the charge. Walter looked around at the group assembled.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked. There was a murmur and a nod as we all teamed up. I was to go with Lucy and check the north-east wing, whilst Gajeel and Mirajane took the north-west. Wendy would hang back, protected by Freed, and Laxus would just smash the place up and draw the attention of as many of them as he could. Walter said he would sneak around with Blake and try to locate Cyrus, wherever he was. If anyone was in trouble, we each had a flare prepared that could be used to signal for assistance. There was one last thing we all had to remember; Natsu may be our enemy now.

Once the battle was underway we quickly, and quietly, approached the castle wall. Freed threw up an enchantment that would make things silent for a few moments so Laxus could discreetly vaporize the wall. Once the runes were up Laxus called up his lightning, and within seconds there was a large hole gaping in the old brick and mortar. Walter gestured for everyone to follow him in and then with that the operation commenced. Lucy stuck close to me, her hand hovering near to her keys, as we made our way to the intended area. A door stood barred in our path, however one quick Ice Make; Saucer, sent the wood to splinters and we moved in unhindered. Inside the room there was a lot of bandits.

"So you're inside" one of them said, "Doesn't matter, you're not leaving here alive" they all drew their blades.

"Piss off, I'm here for my friend" I barked at them. Lucy was holding her Leo key, obviously ready for a brawl. The bandits laughed.

"He's done for, but don't worry, you'll see him soon" one of them said. _Done for?!_ The words shook me into a rage.

"I'll save him, just wait Natsu… Ice Make; Battle Axe" I bellowed, sending ice flying forth to slice at them. They were all down in one blow. "Pathetic. To think these guys hold Natsu" I commented scornfully. Lucy tapped my shoulder.

"We need to get moving" she said. I nodded.

"Alright, we need to find him quickly… before…" I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"Yeah, I know… and we will find him" she said more confidently. I nodded in the direction of another doorway leading to the corridor beyond.

"Let's go, none of these guys are going to tell us anything" I said, moving to leave. She followed me out from the corridor only to stop. A scream reverberated around the whole of the castle.

 _Natsu_!

/

 **Natsu POV, a little earlier**

The bandit leader, Blade, took me to a small room. It had two doors, one that lead to the corridor I had come in from, and the other lead to another room I couldn't see inside of because it was locked.

"Wait here, that door there will unlock soon and then go through it" he said. I growled at him, however he just laughed. "You're scaring no one, weakling, this rooms enchanted so you can't use magic" he said, before slamming the other door shut with a faint _click_ as the lock slid into place. I sighed. "Damn it, I gotta get out of here… I need to go see them again…" I spoke aloud. The room he had brought me to offered no means of escape, it was plain, with no furnishings or windows. A single candle burned in the center of the room to act as illumination.

After a little while, I don't know how long, the other door opened, as he said it would. I had time to think about Cyrus' earlier words. _Real nightmares?_ I could work out what he meant. I did as I was instructed and went through the newly opened door, only to find myself in the most peculiar setting. The room was carpeted, furnished with all manner of expensive-looking pieces. The most prominent piece of furniture was the overly large bed in the center of the room. As I looked at the bed I felt mildly drawn to it, sitting down of my own accord.

"Enjoy it, Natsu Dragneel" a velvety voice said from behind me. The women who had appeared in the woods stood before me now. She had blonde hair, perfectly done so it looked immaculate, and a silk robe. _What is she trying to do_?

"Er… kind of… I guess…" I said, unsure of how to act. She was speaking in such a polite, kind manner, however her eyes… there was something predatory there.

"Heh… don't play dumb, you like it really. It's _soft_ and _warm_ and _perfect_ " she said, at each word she took another delicate step towards me sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's just a bed" I commented, moving to stand up. She grabbed my shoulder and pushed me down.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked. Her voice sounded brittle to my ears, hollow and devoid of real emotion.

"Er… too sleep?" I responded, unsure. She laughed, a sound as equally awful as nails down a blackboard.

"No, silly boy… I want to _give_ you something… well… _you'll be doing the giving_ " she said. I looked her up and down.

"You want us to…" I left it open ended. _She can't be serious._

"Of course. You're the Salamander, the Fire Dragon Slayer… why wouldn't I want to?" she sounded almost hurt. I chuckled slightly.

"Look lady, I don't think that'll work. You've captured me, your other little guy threatened us, what makes you think I'll let you do that to me?" I spoke honestly, and with a little venom in my voice, just to let her know how very unlikely it was I would let her do that. She smirked, biting her lip suggestively.

"Just think of all that nonsense as a little _foreplay_." She emphasized the word greatly.

I laughed now. "Trust me, you're not my _type_ " I replied, earning a scornful look from her.

"I can be whatever you _want_ me to be… fire boy" she pushed me harder onto the bed, straddling herself on my knees.

"No…" I tried to push her off, but found I could not resist. She looked at me evilly.

"It's working well, you won't be able to resist my powers… you _will_ do it, and you'll love it so much you will become _my slave_ " she grinned. I could feel my willpower lessening.

"No… I can't… you're not my type" I said again, shaking my head and pushing her off of me with a little more force.

"You Dragon Slayer's have so much more will than regular men, this will be _fun_ " she said, trying to get back on. I snarled at her, making her stop momentarily. "What is wrong with you? Just accept it… you're male aren't you?"

I didn't try to respond further, just went to leap up, only to be shoved back down by this lady. _She's really strong… I can't stay around her or… I can't betray them…_ I thought frantically as the woman pushed me down into a lying position, forcing herself on top of me. "I… I refuse… to… I… can't" I stammered as she looked down viciously at me.

"Your friends are attacking this place _right now_ , trying to save you. I _will_ make you my slave, and for your disobedience I _will make you fight and kill them_ " as she spoke I noticed her nails elongate slightly, becoming more claw-like, her teeth became slightly more pointed.

"What… are you?" I asked. She laughed again, hollow but with some evil amusement this time.

"Those three wizards dare to call me Succubus. You can call me it too I suppose, since you need not know my real name" she responded as she rested her hands flat on my chest, using her grip to literally rip my waistcoat from off me. I heaved in a few breaths.

"I can't, I won't…" she laughed louder.

"You can, you will" she retorted.

"I can't betray them… I can't betray the person I love" I said finally. She stopped for a moment.

"That's too sweet… very well… I will make you hunt down and _kill_ the one you love right after _this_ " she moved to tug suggestively at my trousers.

"No!" I barked. _No… I never got to tell them… tell him…_

She looked victorious as she ripped off my remaining clothes with her clawed hands. I could take it anymore, if my friends really were out there I had to hope they'd here me and save me.

 _Please… just save me…_

I took in one last long, deep breath…

And I screamed.

 **Chapter 4 End**

 **Next Chapter; What I Always Felt**


	5. Chapter 5 - What I Always Felt

**Chapter 5 – What I Always Felt**

 **Gray POV**

The call could be heard by everyone in the castle, a roar unlike any other. Natsu. I ran on, using my hearing as best I could to follow it's sound, however it was soon cut short. "Natsu…" I panted, resting against the wall as I stopped for Lucy to catch up.

"Gray, wait" she called. I looked to her, running only half as fast as I was. With the sound gone we had no way to find him now. _Damn it… if only I had Natsu's nose… or I had run quicker…_

The corridor we found ourselves on looked much the same as any other, however it had several doors branching off. "We should check all of these rooms out" I said, moving to the nearest door and flinging it wide, only to find an empty room on the other side.

"Okay, but calm down, we need to think clearly if we want to find Natsu" Lucy said moving to another door. As we flung each door wide we found only empty rooms, their previous occupants already caught up in the fighting elsewhere.

"Oh fuck…" I swore as we moved on to the adjoining corridor. On one side it emptied out to a large hole, obviously tore apart by some spell or another in the fighting. We both turned the other way and nodded, as we began bolting down its length, only stopping as we reached an octagonal room with two exits.

"Oh, lookie here" a bandit said. There was a group of them in this room, all wicked grins and sharp swords. One door had a big bolt over it, obviously to stop people getting in. _Not that way…_ I thought. The sound Natsu had made before may have died down, however the distance we were from it told me I was heading in the right direction. _The other door then_.

"We don't have time to waste here" I said, flinging my arm and sending ice to slash at the bandits. They laughed as several of them held up their blades, they had lacrima implanted into their hilts which absorbed the ice as quickly as I had summoned it. _Fuck_ … I cursed, _I don't have time to waste on these guys, I've gotta find Natsu…_

"Gray, go through that door, I've got these guys" Lucy spoke adamantly. She gave me a look of fierce determination. "We both know Natsu is through there and if he has… turned… you've got a better chance of knocking him on his ass and saving him than me" she explained, eyeing up the bandits carefully. They advanced a bit. "Go. Gray" she insisted. I didn't hesitate again as I bolted through a group of them and headed straight through the door. I could hear the sounds of battle behind me as Lucy called up Taurus and Leo to her side. _Thank you Lucy_ I thought as I ran.

The corridor I had run into was long, but ended in a fork. One headed north, but the other headed north-east. I was sure I heard Natsu's voice coming east so I headed down the second path, running into some more bandits. Unlike the others these had no defense against my magic so I dispatched them quickly. _Don't worry Natsu, I'm coming_ …

I ran fast and further down corridor after room, room after corridor, until I reached the east-most tower. "It has to be here" I said aloud. Suddenly a figure burst out from a wall beside me, spraying earth and brick. It was Blake. He nodded at me and pointed to the door to the tower, flicking the light pen we had let him keep out from his sleeve.

THE TARGET AND NATSU ARE IN THERE I THINK

He wrote quickly the light dissipating almost as fast as I could read it. I nodded to him. "On three…" he held up three fingers, counting down slowly. We burst into the room, but it was empty, a lone candle burning in its center. There was a muffled noise from the room attached, no matter how faint it was I could tell it was Natsu. He was struggling.

/

We snuck over to the entrance to the other room, each getting ready to jump in, expecting anything. As I entered my jaw dropped; the room was a stark contrast to the rest of the castle, carpeted and comfortable with a big bed in the center, on which lay Natsu… kissing a woman… naked.

"Natsu!" I cried out. The pair broke apart, Natsu's gaze was hazy, hardly lucid, whilst the woman grinned savagely, a dark glint in her eyes. She made to move, I could see the claw-like nails so I froze her instantly in place, rolling the ice block she was in away from Natsu. "Natsu" I repeated, this time moving to grab ahold of my friend. He mumbled something, but was otherwise clouded with whatever spell she had put him under. Blake observed the scene carefully, watching Natsu's moves. I could see him writing something in the air as I cradled Natsu in my arms.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT SHE'S DONE

It read. I glared at the so called Succubus. "What did you do to Natsu?!" I demanded, fire and venom in my voice, "Tell me, or I'll freeze your whole body and shatter you to pieces". She laughed, despite her beauty her voice was the ugliest thing I had ever heard.

"Why, I made him my slave, ice boy… did these three little piggies not tell you of my powers" she taunted, eying Blake who wore a scowl on his face.

"Undo it… undo what you did" I said, "Turn Natsu back".

"No. You interrupted us before I could finish. But my magic is on him now… he will lose his mind in pleasure and if I'm not there to control the spell he… will… _die_ " she cackled. I looked from her to Natsu. _No… no…_

"Please… turn him back…" I begged. I noticed Natsu shift in my arms. His hardened member was twitching wildly. _He's going to climax?_ She watched with interest.

"In a few moments the process will complete and the Dragon Slayer will be no more… there is no way to stop the spell now, he will sleep for ever more" she said, eye's dancing with laughter. I glared at her more fiercely than I had ever done to anyone else. Then I looked to Blake.

"You knew about her powers… you must know how to undo them…" I looked to the dark-haired wizard expectantly. He shrugged and wrote something in the air.

I KNOW WHAT THE MAGIC IS, NOT HOW IT WORKS… I CAN'T UNDO IT EITHER.  
CYRUS MIGHT KNOW, BUT HE WON'T GET HERE IN TIME.

I gritted my teeth as I read. "If he dies I will freeze her _and_ all three of you and you will all be shattered to pieces… ALL OF YOU" my voice trembled as Natsu shook a little more violently. Blake sighed and gave a defeated look. The Succubus laughed harder.

"There he goes… die now Dragon Slayer…" she said. I allowed grief to overtake me, fear of death, Natsu's death, filling me.

"I… I never got to tell you how… how I feel… how I always felt… Natsu… I can't believe I was… so happy when they paired Lucy up with me instead of you…" I cried. Blake watched this before writing something quickly in the air.

YOU LOVE HIM. KISS HIM.

It read. I shot him a hateful look. "Walter told you" I stated flatly. He shook his head.

YOU DID, JUST NOW.

I sighed and looked down at Natsu. His face was slack, relaxed, despite the insane twitching of his lower section. He really did look good, no matter how old he got he always had that rounded face, the child-like look, the playful smile. _I'll never get to see any of that again… never get to fight him again, or argue, or…_

A great wave of regret washed over me. I had always known I had deep feelings for the pink haired wizard, however now, in the face of demise, I only realised how much he truly effected my life. "Please Natsu… be alright… get up you idiot…" I felt the tears on my cheeks, a warmth which contrasted the cold dread I was feeling inside. As the spasms intensified I found myself doing something I had never expected I would ever get to do.

I bent down and kissed Natsu's lips.

/

 **Natsu POV**

The Succubus had attacked me, pinned me down. I was powerless. Soon I could feel nothing except an intense pleasure flowing through my body, I tried to struggle against it, however I was soon swept away. I registered her body on top of my own, but nothing else, or my other sense were useless. I could feel it getting closer, the first orgasm of my life and it would be to this witch's magic. I tried hard to struggle against the pleasure, however it was like I was trapped in a blanket of darkness, with each shot of pleasure I was dragged further in, until I would become smothered by it, my body acting as her puppet. I refused it.

Soon I felt another sensation, a great chill swept over me and the pressure of her body was gone, replaced by a soothing sensation, someone's arms around my neck. Still I was powerless to move. I felt like an observer in my own body, unable to see or hear, only feel the touches against my bare skin. My only thought was of my own regrets. Well… my one regret; that I never got to tell him what I thought, what I felt. _Gray…_

I could feel the grip around me intensify and through the waves of pleasure I could hear some muffled noises, however they were distant, on another world, away from this pleasure-hell I was facing. I could feel it getting closer, the spell forcing me on, it would arrive soon and I would be caught by it. _I wonder if I'll be able to experience anything… will I be trapped in my own mind forever…_ The prospect terrified me, especially if that witch made good on her promise and forced me to kill the one I loved, although they would never know why I would be forced to kill them, as I would never be allowed to tell them the truth. My one regret.

As I felt the end nearing I felt a shift in my position. The grip was strong around my chest now, a warmth filled my face as I felt something near it, pressed to my lips. _A kiss?_ I then realised that it must be someone else, this did not feel like the cold dread that I felt when kissing that witch, it was warm and soft and kind and gentle, it pulled me out from that darkness, towards it's embrace. In my vision I was able to make out fuzzy shapes now, a dark shape above me. Whoever it was they were saving me from this spell. I could still feel the pleasure rising, I was going to come kissing this person, whoever they were however I didn't care, I just knew that they were my savior.

I felt the surge of pleasure, greater than the others, followed by a wet feeling over my lower half, however I was not consumed by the darkness, instead I was dragged out of it from the kiss. _I'm free_ I yelled mentally as I felt the person above pull away. I did not want to end this yet so I used what little strength I had left and moved my arm to behind their head pushing us closer together. They seemed to struggle for a moment, however I sat up slightly, maintaining the kiss for as long as I could, finally stopping as I felt a burning in my lungs. As my vision cleared I was finally able to see who it was. _Fuck…_

Gray sat next to me, looking at me confusedly, his lips red and his face flushed. "Natsu?" he asked, voice full of worry and doubt. I realised I had no strength to talk, though my vision was back I would only see a little distance. I moved my head in what I hoped was a nod. "You're… alive?" Again I nodded. Soon I felt Gray hugging me to his chest tightly. "I thought I had lost you" he said. I smiled and tried to speak, only being able to make a meek noise, however it was worth it to hear Gray's squeak of happiness.

/

After a few moments of silence, interspaced only with deep breaths from me and Gray, he spoke again. "You didn't die then…" he muttered. I looked up at him, he had used the sheets of the bed to clean me up and was now sitting beside my body as I lay on the bed vertically. I still had no strength to move on my own yet, I had used all that up in extending the kiss. Now I could see my surroundings clearly, the witch trapped in ice beside the bed, scowling viciously, one of those three wizards standing guard at the door. He turned to look at us, drawing in the air with some pen.

THERE IS NO ONE AROUND, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TRY TO MOVE HIM OUT OF HERE.  
THERE IS STILL NO WORD OF CYRUS BEING FOUND YET.

The Succubus laughed suddenly. "You'll never leave here alive, _he'll_ wake up and kill you all" she said. Blake shook his head.

WE'LL DEAL WITH HIM AFTER I DEAL WITH YOU.  
GRAY, WE NEED TO MOVE NOW, GET NATSU OUT OF HERE.

"No!" the Succubus screamed, "You can't leave. My spell should have taken over your mind… you should be dead. There's no way that ice brat could have saved you". Gray gave her a dark look.

"I will kill you. For what you have done to Natsu I will kill you, you will be shattered to the winds in shards of ice, forever cold" he said. I could hear the malice in his tone, never had I heard him this dark, even when he was in Avatar.

"G-ra-y" I mumbled, trying to find my voice. His gaze immediately returned to me, once more concerned and warm.

"Natsu, don't worry, I'll save you. You'll leave here with me" he said warmly, "Come on, let's get you clothes again". I shook my head; my clothes were torn to pieces. He smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I know you can't wear those" he said, before standing up. In no less than a minute he was standing in his underwear, a common enough sight not to surprise me, if he wasn't offering his clothes to me. "Take mine, I'm fine without clothes, remember" he explained, putting the clothes down on the bed, "Can you get up?". I tried to move, but all my muscles refused to obey my actions. Gray laughed. "It's fine if you can't, here" he began helping me to a sitting position, before he clothed me with what he was wearing only a moment ago. The wizard, Blake, tapped his foot impatiently.

THIS IS ALL VERY CUTE BUT WE'VE GOT TO GO

He wrote in the air. I was too weary to resist anything Gray did, so when he was done clothing me he swept me up in his arms, carrying me princess style. "Gray…" I moaned, trying to complain. He grinned at me.

"You can't walk Natsu" he said. I was going to try and wriggle in his arms to force him to let me down, however another intrusion broke my thoughts.

"I see you got him" Walter said as he entered the room, eyeing up the Succubus brooding in her ice prison. Gray nodded at him.

"Good timing, I can't fight well whilst I'm carrying Natsu" he said. I went to protest, however Walter got there first.

"That's why I'm here, we already got Cyrus and he told us where he thought you'd be, if Blake's here too then that makes it all the better. You go meet Cyrus outside with me, whilst Blake deals with _her_ " he spat the last word. Gray nodded in understanding.

"Alright, let's go" he said, moving to the door, swiftly followed by Walter. As a group we left the room, only catching one last glimpse of Blake as he closed the tower room door.

"Trust me, it's better you don't see" Walter said, smiling, although his tone was dark and contrasted his smile terrifyingly. It sent a shiver through my spine; there was something unnatural about him and Blake that scared me, especially when they were talking about that woman.

/

We reached the outside in a matter of moments. On the way we recovered Lucy, who was sitting and resting in a room, surrounded by bandits who were all out cold. She smiled at me. "It's good to see you're alive, Natsu" she commented. Her tone suggested she was happy, however her eyes saw me in Gray's clothes and I could imagine what was going through her head, made worse by the simple fact he continued to insist on carrying me princess style through the castle. _I'll kill him for this…_ I thought, annoyed at what he was doing, but at the same time relieved it was him doing it.

"Natsu, looks like you've been through some _interesting stuff_ " Laxus greeted us as we rejoined the group. All the wizards from Walter's team were assembled, along with Cyrus, who was sitting down with Blake nearby. I was surprised to find the dark haired wizard here before us, despite the fact we left him behind in the tower. Yet another mystery to add to the list.

"I'm glad you're okay Natsu, I admit I was a little worried when the Succubus dragged you off like that" Cyrus commented. I smirked at him, he had a few more bruises and scrapes since I had last seen him an hour or so ago.

"You look like they had some fun with you too" I replied. He laughed.

"No, this is from beating up a couple of bandits on my way out, once Walter opened my jail cell I made my own way out so he could focus on helping to look for you" Cyrus said. Walter chuckled.

"It's very amusing to see you so jolly, given that we could be overrun at any moment, how about we leave now and send off the flare to allow the others to retreat too, hmmm?" the Requip mage said, the smile still on his face. Gajeel snorted and looked toward something in the darkness.

"I think it's a bit late for that" he said, "Looks like the party found us". Sure enough a large swarm of bandits were marching over to the position we currently held. Laxus and Gajeel laughed.

"We'll hold 'em off, two Dragon Slayer should be able to beat them losers. Freed, throw up a few enchantments behind us to stop them from reaching you guys" the blonde man said confidently. Walter nodded to them.

"Good luck, I don't want to have to plan another rescue mission though, so get your asses back to Fairy Tail" he said. Laxus laughed before heading off, catching up to Gajeel, who as in the middle of the bandits already.

"You aren't my Grandpa, you can't go ordering me" he said. Walter sighed.

"Maybe…" he said before turning on his heel. "Alright, everyone heard them, let's get movi-" he stopped mid-step. Out of the forest behind us a laugh sounded, it was deep, and somewhat maniacal, although it also seemed sleepy and irritable too.

A figure appeared out of the shadows and I saw Walter, Cyrus and Blake immediately place themselves between the rest of us and the newcomer. "You!" I barked. The man yawned.

"You… killed my sister… I'm going to have to kill you I'm afraaaid" he continued yawning as he spoke.

"Everyone, get behind us, Freed, put up an enchantment" Walter commanded. They seemed more afraid of this guy than they ever were of the Succubus. _What is so dangerous about him?_

/

 **General POV**

Walter and his two companions formed a defensive line between the Fairy Tail wizards and the man. "Why do you want me to put an enchantment up? What type?" Freed asked, responding to Walter's last command. Cyrus briefly glanced at the other Script mage.

"I can't maintain an enchantment and fight all out, just put one up that nullifies magic that touches it, it should protect you" he said. Freed immediately used his sword to begin drawing out an enchantment on the ground as he was instructed. It seemed most prudent not to argue the point any further as these three seemed to know more about this guy than any of them.

"Why? Who's he?" Lucy asked. Walter sighed.

"He's the other target, Sandman" he replied, eyeing up his opponent, who seemed to be in a dazed, trance-like state.

"But what is so dangerous about him?" Wendy piled on another question.

"He can use a form of Sand magic which manipulates a powder he keeps hidden in his ridiculous outfit, it can cause suffocation to knock people out, and then kill them of course, but… he can also nullify magic with it, it's basically tiny lacrima particles" Walter explained, "As for how dangerous he is, think about it, he's the one who managed to knock Cyrus _and_ Natsu out" he added. The group looked on in shock, looking from the three to the figure and back again.

"If he took Natsu I want to fight him" Gray declared. He had put Natsu down inside of Freed's enchantment, however Natsu grasped at his leg.

"Don't Gray… he's strong" he said, sniffing the air. Even from here Natsu could smell that deadly lacrima powder, as well as the sheer force of magic emanating from this man. He was a fearful threat. Walter laughed.

"Even I can't take him on, that's why you're going to get the pleasure of seeing Blake and Cyrus in action" he commented. Everyone looked at him incredulously. It was clear he was a powerful wizard, strong enough to even hold his own against Erza in a close combat fight, however they soon realised that as a close combat specialist getting near to their current foe would mean getting close to his sand too. He stepped to the sidelines as Blake and Cyrus stepped forward.

"I may have underestimated you before, however… now I really _see_ you" Cyrus said. The mage yawned.

"Are you done, I just wanna kill you" he mumbled. Cyrus laughed.

"Everyone, you remember my magic?" he directed this question to the audience he had now gathered inside Freed's enchantment. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, some sort of Script magic, right?" he replied, confused by the question.

"Good memory. That was one of my powers, tonight you get the honor of seeing my other one" he said, "My Scribes Eyes". Everyone looked on intently as he tapped his forehead with his index and middle fingers together. Once that was done a bright light illuminated from his eyes momentarily, and when it passed they could see, even from this distance, that his normally hazel eyes had changed to become flecked with all manner of colours. "With this I can see your magic and understand it. You use Sand Magic, that much is known, however now I see the sand shift about in your clothes, almost… alive" he said, voice cold and analytical, just like in his fight with Gray.

The Sandman smiled wearily. "I'm going to kill you now" he said, before flinging his arm out lazily, a small sand cloud bursting forth to try to consume Cyrus.

"Not good enough" he called. In one swift motion he flicked his wrist, taking the pen that shot out from his sleeve and writing something in the air. It immediately turned orange and flowed into the ground. "Orange Script; Sand Deflection" he shouted, a barrier of orange forming which dispersed the sand from the attack out, sending it back to its caster. He just raised and eyebrow.

"You're one of the three?" he said, it sounded like a question, but was more like a statement. "Guess that means I've got to try then" he said, before flicking his other arm out for both to hang limply in the air, sand draining out to pour forth in a great wave, "I'll make you go sleepy now, with one touch you'll be… out cold" he yawned momentarily as the sand tsunami surged forward towards all of the wizards.

"Ah… I see… it's a mixture of Earth, Wind and Water magic that lets you do this, in that case…" he quickly scribbled a few things in the air, "Blue Script; Crashing Wave, Yellow Script; Flashbang, Orange Script; Sand Blocker, and Red Script; Inferno" he commanded. The words glowed in a spectrum of colours, each taking effect together, and soon a small wall of sand was holding back in defense whilst water, charged with lightning, surged forth to meet the oncoming sand wave. On contact there was an immediate battle of wills, however the flames which burst forth over the sand barricade towards the pool of lacrima-sand and charged water vaporized the water instantly, and turned the sand to glass. Walter laughed.

"Impressive Cyrus, haven't seen you go that far out in a while" he said. Gray stood dumbfounded.

"You're able to use _that_ many spells at once _and control them_ " he barked, amazed and astounded. He knew if Cyrus was fighting this hard in their fight then he would never have won, and suddenly those words came back to him, '18 percent chance'. _Not even that_ Gray thought dejectedly, he may have rejected it before, however now he faced the truth; these three were powerful, and so were their opponents, more powerful than him. Cyrus smirked back at the group as the flames continued to burst forward towards the Sandman, who pulled up a block of sand to stop its advance further, smothering the flames.

"I told you before in our fight, you stood no chance, and that was when I was only using 15 percent of my magic power" he said cockily. Gray curled his hand into a fist as a little anger rose in his chest, however he could not hold onto it as the battle continued between the other wizards. Blake seemed to also have took to the side lines, ready if he was needed, but hanging back and letting Cyrus fight this guy.

"You are… annoying" the opponent said, flinging his arms wide. "I'll send the biggest wave I can at you then" he added, as sand poured out from his clothes, forming a huge wall behind him that completely blocked the area behind from view. It formed a lot of little fists. "Sand Barrage" he commanded, each of the fists flying forth, hundreds upon thousands of them coming to land on Cyrus' position. Cyrus was scribbling furiously.

"Orange Script; Sand Block… Orange Script; Sand Inhibitor… Red Script; Inferno… Violet Script; Violet Force… Indigo Script; Null… White Script; Light Barrier" he said, each of the scripts taking effect in turn. Firstly, a large wall of sand was thrown up, absorbing the first few fists, then another wall, this one of orange light which dispersed the sand attacks, then a wave of pure flames, which was smothered instantly by the sand. "Damn it…" Cyrus cursed as he began writing one long complex script. As he did so his other commands took effect, a purple light flashed, altering the trajectory or destroying another large swarm of lacrima-sand fists, then a deep blue-indigo colour appeared, it caused several of the fists to just deform and turn back to harmless grains, then finally a wall of shimmering white light formed, absorbing the remainder of the fists. A few fists remained, however Blake took action to stop these, jumping up and throwing some odd black sludge out which caused the sand to bubble and melt. The Fairy Tail wizards payed close attention to his actions, as they were the first to ever witness him in action. Walter saw their faces and smiled as Cyrus continued writing his spell.

"You want to know Blake's magic, right?" he asked them, they all nodded, "Well, it's a little difficult to explain but…" Blake held up his hand.

I'LL TELL YOU LATER, FOR NOW WE MUST WATCH AND SUPPORT CYRUS

He wrote. Everyone sighed, their first chance at information dashed before they could seize it, not that it really mattered, they we're equally engrossed in watching Cyrus fight. He was nearly done with his spell as the Sandman prepared another barrage of sand fists. "Grey Script; Rule Maker" he commanded. The spell glowed a faint grey color before expanding out, words flying in all directions, they hovered in the air, forming a gigantic sphere around them all. Cyrus smirked. "With this I win" he said.

Sandman looked at him, confused, tired and annoyed. "How's… that?" he mumbled.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "You can't feel it?" he questioned, tone confident. The Sandman cocked his head before throwing his head back in a wild howl, a sound of pain and anger.

"My… my… Magic!" he cried out, as sand began harmlessly flowing from his clothing into little piles beside him, "It… can't" he added, this was as loud and energetic as they had heard him yet.

"The words command for all magic's of the earth estuation to be completely nullified, as Gajeel is out of its range you're the only one here it effects" he explained. The Sandman's eyes snapped wide, glaring at Cyrus with murderous intent.

"My sand was a gift from my creator, _you_ _will pay_ " he cried, voice showing he was wide awake now. Walter took a step back.

"Cyrus watch out, he's going to-" he couldn't finish as sand suddenly exploded out from the man's eyes, nose, mouth, skin. Everywhere was becoming that flowing substance, and as it flowed it reshaped itself into a towering giant.

"How? His magic shouldn't work" Cyrus muttered, falling back to regroup with the other three.

"His Final Phase" Walter commented, "You know it's not magic, but sheer power that drives _that_ ". Cyrus nodded.

"He'll be unstoppable… that sand will crush me and you… but…" he looked to Blake, as did all the others. Cyrus' words faded from the air as the hulking sand titan looked down on them all, a bestial glare in his eyes, last shreds of humanity slowly fading to whatever 'power' he had activated. What had once been a man only a moment ago was now a monstrosity, and it seemed no one could stop it, judging from the reactions of Walter and the others.

That was, until Blake stepped forward.

EVERYONE, GET BACK AND STAY BACK  
DON'T LET THE SAND TOUCH YOU

He wrote.

I WILL FACE THIS THING, SINCE IT CAN'T EFFECT ME  
A DEMON WILL SLAY A TITAN.

Everyone read his words and looked even more confused than before. _Demon?_

 **Chapter 5 End**

 **Next Chapter; Inhuman**


	6. Chapter 6 - Inhuman

**Chapter 6 – Inhuman**

 **General POV**

Everyone looked on in surprise as Blake stepped forward again, assuming a battle pose.

"What does he mean by demon?" Lucy asked Walter and Cyrus through the barrier of Freed's magic.

"Indeed. He does not appear to have any demonic traits" Freed concurred. Walter looked to them momentarily, before returning his attention to the giant sand creature that loomed above them.

"It's kinda hard to explain… we'll probably be best to show you his magic first" Walter said. Cyrus nodded in agreement as the sand creature roared, it was no longer a human sound, but rather that of a beast. "Blake, it's going to strike now" Walter said, surprisingly level headed given the foe they were facing. Blake nodded and made a hand sign, which Walter read but did not translate. "If you must, yes" he voiced, obviously in response to Blake's signing.

At that Blake nodded and began stepping cautiously towards the beast. He fished around in his suit before producing an odd looking pouch. He took it and opened it up, before taking off his dark red suit, to reveal a darker red waistcoat and white shirt underneath. He folded up the jacket and put it, surprisingly, into the pouch with ease. _A magic pouch?_ They all thought as they watch the odd display. Once that was done he attached the pouch, which had not increased in volume at all, apparently, to a belt no one had noticed he was wearing. It was leather and brown, with lots of loops and holes, in which were attached multiple small phials, flasks and pouches, each with numbers on them. Cyrus watched them all eye up Blake's attire more carefully, them each paying attention to the sloshing of different coloured substances within the phials he carried. "That's one of his magic's" Cyrus commented, "Those phials and pouches hold substances he can manipulate, watch" he explained. They each observed as the sand monster, now closer to Blake than it had ever been to Walter or Cyrus in its last form, eye him up. It seemed almost predatory. _Kill… Kill…_ The words filled the air, an inhuman whisper on the wind, but definitely the voice of the man before.

"Strike now, Factor" Walter said, reverting to their prior names. Blake did so, just as the monster began its attack, bringing down an arm at dreadful speed to crash down on Blake's position. It was pointless though as in one fluid motion he drew a phial from his pouch and took the stopper off, causing a pink-purple vapor to rise instantly from within which deflected the sand around it, stopping the attack in its tracks. All of the Fairy Tail wizards stood impressed, some going slack-jawed in surprise.

"How did he do that?" Wendy burst out. Walter smirked wider.

"As I said it's his magic. The Dark Elixir. With it he may control any of those substances, each with their own properties, and so can form absolute defense, inflict pain without ever physically injuring you… even cause instant paralysis or even death. It is a very skillful magic, and he is the master" Walter explained, a touch of pride in his voice. Gray narrowed his eyes on Blake. _Does that make him the most powerful_? He thought, interested now.

Blake didn't have time to do anything else as the giant pulled back its first arm and brought its second one down. This one was also stopped by the dome of purple vapor Blake surrounded himself with, however he also took out another phial from his belt. "Number 18; the Soul Stealer" Cyrus analysed, "Combine that with that Number 11; Defense Vapor 2, and he'll be a force to be reckoned with" he added. As he spoke Blake onehandedly took the other phial's stopper off and a green liquid oozed out, climbing up the glass walls seemingly of its own accord. It fizzed and bubbled as it formed a noxious green gas-cloud which moved through a self-formed hole in the pink vapor and began assaulting the sand which was there, corroding away at it until the creature it was part of roared in pain as it withdrew its arm. _Hurts… burns…_ it hissed. Cyrus' eyes continued to maintain their rainbow colour as he observed the monster. "The Soul Stealer is semi-conscious, it obeys Blake to eat away at something either physical, like the sand, or even magical, like the lacrima within the sand… however there is too much for it to work effectively" he spoke aloud. Everyone turned to him before returning to Blake, who tapped the rims of each of the phials, causing their respective substances to flow back in, the stoppers being replaced with a slight _pop_ sound. Blake then replaced them in his belt, taking out another two phials which he held in his right hand, leaving his left hand free. He removed the stoppers and a blood-red vapor erupted out, in greater volume than either of the other two elixirs he had used before. "Those are the Number's 10 and 9, the Pain Potions. They should deal some damage against the beast, _if_ they get close enough" Cyrus spoke aloud again, explaining Blake's tactics to the Fairy Tail wizards. Everyone nodded, with a name like 'Pain Potion' they could guess what it did. Blake held the phials out, controlling the crimson vapors like a conductor controls and orchestra, with each wave of his hand the vapors reformed and reshaped themselves, forming something akin to a monster-like shape of its own. Blake then smirked as he began charging forward, the red vapors around him turning into a humanoid creature, arms raised to attack.

The Sandman, or what remain of him, laughed as it met its opponent monster head on, sand colliding with vapors in a heated battle of strength and brute force. Despite the elixir being a gas it held against the sand like the hardest of metals. At each point the sand and potion collided a sizzle could be heard, with slight sparks and flashes as the gas and sand caused friction to form lighting in their exchange of blows. Blake tried to get behind the Sandman, vapor-arms grabbing at its head and squeezing, only to be met with a vicious side attack with an elongated arm. The sand and vapor reshaped and formed, monster of sand becoming towering wall to collide on the vapor-sphere which formed. Now that they saw the two fight, the Fairy Tail wizards could understand why he called himself demon; all throughout the fight he smirked, with a dark look in his eyes that promised suffering and revealed a deep bloodlust. They were unsure of which to be more afraid, the person who had tried to kill them all, or the one he was fighting now, that had sat in silence amongst them at the guildhall. Blake truly was a demon, if only in name perhaps.

/

The battle ensued between the vapor-creature and the sand monster until both sides were standing in a face off, with Blake once more between his allies and his enemy. He tapped on the rim of one of the phials, causing the sphere of Pain Potion to shrink to a smaller radius around himself as one of the two was drawn once more to its phial. With the stopper on it was replaced by another phial that Blake drew from his belt. "That's… Number 23; the Blaze" Cyrus read, his enhanced eyes being able to see it's label clearly despite the darkness and the distance. He nodded. "A good plan… turn that creature into a display piece, Factor" he called to his friend. Blake nodded, as he removed the phial stopper a great swirl of flames erupted forth, the brilliant red liquid that was within it immediately bursting into an inferno of heat and pain, that whirled through the night air towards its target. It collided with the raised sand arm of the creature, which had reformed after that last exchange of blows. The arm stopped the flames in their tracks, however the sneak attack that Blake hid amongst his flames landed perfectly, the crimson vapors of the Pain Potion he held in his right hand snaking all over the beast as the flames continued their onslaught. The monster writhed and squealed, another unearthly sound uttering forth. _Pain… pain…_ It cried out into the night, however this was not enough to kill it. Blake withdrew his pain potion, returning it to its phial and replacing it into his belt. He looked over to Walter, who nodded at him.

"Do it, they've seen this much, why not show them the other power?" he said, answering to a question never voiced, leaving the Fairy Tail wizards wondering what his 'other power' was.

"What other magic does he use? You each use two, right?" Gray asked Cyrus. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, we each use two magic to give us versatility in combat. The two Fact… er… Blake uses are each powerful and versatile on their own, however put the two together and you get the most powerful wizard around" Cyrus boasted grandly, smugness being the only real emotion that he could ever put in his voice. Gray looked over to Blake, wondering what other power he could have that could befit a title like that.

Blake took four larger phials from the left section of his belt, removing their stoppers quickly as black ooze slithered out, much like the potion before it seemed to climb out of its own volition, forming four black puddles on the floor. Blake waved his arms over each puddle and as he did this they grew until the four puddles became four humanoid creatures standing before him, all made of that same black sludge. He nodded at them and made a few signs to the creature of sand. They nodded their semi-human heads before turning and dashing over to the creature, sending out long lashes from their arms as the sludge-bodies shifted and changed in order to fight the giant. Whilst the giant was distracted Blake nodded over to Cyrus, who smiled. "I'd recommend either Aria of the Cloud Queen, or Heart of the Tempest" he said. Blake pursed his lips momentarily before smiling broadly, clearly he had something in mind as he turned back to the giant, who was still surrounded by the four soldiers. He raised his right hand and drew a symbol out with his index and middle fingers together. The symbol shone brightly before dissolving into a light which wrapped around the very fingers that had been used to write it into existence. With his lit fingers he moved them to his throat, before muttering something inaudible. This shocked all the Fairy Tail wizards assembled as no one had heard him speak before, most assumed he was mute. Then, after he was done muttering he let his arm drop to his side…

As he opened his mouth…

and he sang.

/

The sound was a stark contrast to the silence of the night and the small sounds of far off battle; it was a beautiful noise. Blake's voice was high, singing in a most perfect tenor, the music produced seemed to be completely natural, despite the scene it was in. Everyone was captivated, both by its perfection and complete surprise. No one had expected this. " _There the sky flows, a heavenly blue…"_ Blake sang, " _There the land lies, as I sweep on from view. Naught but wind on the meadow…"_. Cyrus nodded approvingly.

"The Heart of the Tempest" he muttered, "A perfect piece, and with it… that sand will be blown away, scattered to the four winds". Everyone did not even look at the brunette Script mage as his partner sang on; then they noticed the air ripple around them as a swirling storm began to build around Blake.

"How is that possible? How is he controlling the wind like that" Wendy asked, the Sky Dragon Slayer could feel the strong Wind Magic in play. Cyrus looked at her incredulously.

"You can sense it?" he asked, surprised, to which she nodded, "I suppose a Sky Dragon would… it's his other magic; the Harmony Voice. You see… Blake is a contradiction, as he fights with the elixirs he becomes, to the very essence of it, a demon… yet he sings like this… and he holds the voice to command all things" Cyrus said. Walter agreed.

"Yes, the _dangerous_ contradiction. Through this magic he can make resonance between his voice and sheer magical energy in the environment… this allows him to control and shape it to his will, so long as he is not disrupted. That cloak of wind that has formed around him is the epitome of the spell, the magic swelling around him to obey the hidden commands of the song and become air and wind spells, which he may manipulate through the music" Walter explained. As he did so they all began to hear music reverberate throughout the air, fitting to Blake's song tune perfectly.

" _As I rest on here, the weary hill… I feel a loss as the world grows still… A passerby to all, I have no one to love… and I must move again, onwards, never to be missed"_ Blake's voice grew quiet, yet the music continued, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Where's that sound coming from?" Lucy inquired, confused and captivated at the same time.

"The air" Cyrus said, "He has made the magical energy resonate with his singing voice… hence it will play to the tune until it is disrupted or he stops it". Lucy nodded in half understanding, this was too complex for any of them to grasp fully. The music flowed out from Blake as he rose his arms above him.

"Forte" he said, tone commanding, but still melodic. He brought his arms down in one gesture and as he did so the music that was playing rose in sudden volume as a great wave of wind rushed forward, slamming into the sand creature as it was attack by the four sludge soldiers. "Piano" he then followed on, this command brought the music back down as the wind rushed back to Blake, dragging the sand monster closer. He smiled wildly, enjoying watching his music push and pull the creature at will. "Crescendo" he said next. The music gradually increased in volume, and as it did so the air around Blake became a tornado, the music still playing out from it. Finally, he grinned as the column of spinning air slowly elevated him off of the ground and eventually to a height above the creature he was facing. "Finale" he commanded, waving his arms to show the end of his 'performance'. At this arm gesture he was deposited on the ground as the twister tunneled through the air to crash into the sand monster, drilling through its chest. _No… no… die… no…_ It screamed as the sand dissolved into a heap, Blake grinning continuously. The music began to die down too.

After all that was done he tapped his throat again, light flashing momentarily before it disappeared. As he did that he returned his sludge-soldiers to their phials, and replaced them into his belt as he walked over to the rest of the group. Walter nodded to him. "An impressive song, and impressive work as always, Blake" he commented. Blake smiled and bowed mockingly. Cyrus nodded.

"Indeed, although did you really need to play around so much? You could have done that after 5 seconds, not a few minutes" he said. Freed lowered the enchantment as everyone stepped out and over to the three.

"That was amazing" Lucy proclaimed.

"Yeah. Can you teach me any of that Wind magic?" Wendy asked hopefully. Blake held his hands up.

"He couldn't Wendy, it's not really Wind magic, just looks like it" Walter said, before looking over her to Natsu, who was still seated, although Gray was trying to get him to stand up. "You okay, Natsu?" Walter shouted, Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. He's fine, just stubborn" Gray said, "Come on Natsu" he tried to tug at Natsu's arm, only for the Fire Dragon Slayer to shake his head.

"Don't wanna. Why should I go congratulate someone who got me captured?" he whined.

"Leave him" Walter laughed, but then darted out in front of everyone, who gasped in shock. Freed was already writing a barrier as a long column of sand shot out at the group. Without Walter's action they would have all been crushed under it. "Damn. Thought he was dead, Cyrus!" he shouted. Cyrus wrote something in the air in orange, which sent the sand recoiling. From out of the large pile a much smaller, semi-human figure walked out. _You thought… you killed us…_ It whispered in that still unearthly voice, _You die… now…_ it spoke as more Sandmen came walking out of the pile, until there was a whole army of them. Walter grabbed Cyrus and they each jumped inside of Freed's completed enchantment. "Damn it. Blake… you okay to do it?" Walter asked quickly, not really giving him much of a choice as he was the only one outside the enchantment. Blake nodded, writing something with the light pen before returning it to its sleeve.

I SAID I WOULD NEED TO FIGHT THIS AS A DEMON, JUST GET READY TO DEAL WITH IT IF I DIE

He wrote. Everyone suddenly gasped as he took a vial of black-blue liquid from somewhere within his waistcoat instead of his belt. "That's one of his big five most powerful concoctions. The ultimate Dark Elixir; Demon Blood, everyone watch out" Cyrus said. They each watched as Blake took the elixir and downed its contents. He signed something quickly which made Walter chuckle slightly.

"He said; Let's have some fun" Walter translated as Blake threw his head back and let out an inhuman howl.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I had thought that Blake was only a little strong as he threw elixir after elixir at the sand beast, however as he began singing I could feel the power emanating off of him, a perfect voice which commands absolute magic. It really annoyed me that he could be so strong, _and_ that Gray was gaping at every move he made. _I know it's selfish… but I just really… want him to look at me that way too, at least once when I fight…_ I thought solemnly. After the creature had been defeated I refused to congratulate Blake, no matter how hard Gray tried to persuade me otherwise. I was stubborn and I knew it, and Gray knew it too, as he gave up and moved to get up and go to Blake himself, leaving me on my own. I nearly went to stop him, however I froze as I saw the column of sand burst forth, with Walter quickly moving in the way to stop it with some gloves he manifested. After a short exchange Blake drank his 'ultimate' elixir and I stood, admittedly dumbfounded, within the barrier again as he fought.

He let out an inhuman howl as the elixir worked its obvious power, his black hair elongating slightly, becoming a little coarser and jagged, like a mane. His hands curled slightly as claws formed from his nails, long and foreboding. His skin turned a pale, bone-white, as his clothes shredded under the new muscles that formed, although he was not left totally naked, the trousers still fitting his new form. Finally, jet-black, bat-like wings erupted forth from his back and I heard Mira gasp slightly as she watched what was basically a more violent form of her take-over spell, Satan Soul. The process completed as a black, scaled tail grew out, ending in three vicious spines that turned a gold colour. "I'll kill you all this time" Blake the demon said, his voice deep and menacing, none of the beauty it had when he was signing his melody before. His eyes had turned a blood-red colour and glowed with a hellish light. The Sandmen laughed, before a few rushed at him; he tore through them all with one claw before charging forward and ripping through another few. No matter how many he cut down they either reformed or new ones were created from the pile of remaining sand left over from the giant creature. Blake cackled as he sent out a blast of evil energy from his fingertips that ripped a dozen or so of them to pieces, the particles falling to the ground harmlessly. "You will all fall" he bellowed, before firing off four more blasts of dark magic that destroyed a cluster of the Sandmen that attempted to surround him. Despite his efforts they were overtaking his position, so Blake grinned as he lifted off from the ground with a powerful beat of his wings. He took in a breath that rasped chokingly with sand particles, which lay heavy in the air. "Devils Tounge" he spoke harshly, a thick, roiling fog of blackness spewing forth from his lips. It crashed down to the ground beneath him and all the Sandmen that were caught in its depths were consumed instantly, crushed by writhing tendrils of the substance. Before any could flee the demon, Blake raised his hands above his head, summoning up a sphere of blood-red vapor, much akin to that of his Pain Potion. "Pain Explosion" he laughed maniacally as he threw the sphere down, causing an explosion at the very center of the black mist that covered the area, the red mixing with the black as it propelled outwards, catching the largest majority of the Sandmen within its radius. There was another unearthly howl, this time from the Sandmen, as many more of their forms were killed by Blake, however more still spawned from the, now considerably smaller, pile. _Is there no end to them?_ I thought as I watched on.

Blake landed back on the ground as the black substance he had called forth diminished to nothingness. We all breathed a sigh of relief as no Sandmen remained, until a blur of motion sent Blake spiraling off into the darkness with a gut-wrenching cracking of his bones. The attack had come from a long, sand-claw that burst forth from the pile. We watched as another formed and the two together began clawing at the ground as more erupted from the pile. A new giant formed, although this one was not even half the size of the original. "Impossible!" Cyrus proclaimed, before his eyes lost their rainbow colouration. "My magic may have run out, however the last I saw of that pile there was hardly any energy left, how is it still growing?" he questioned. Walter shrugged.

"Don't know, but I wouldn't count Factor out yet" he replied, to which Cyrus nodded.

"Indeed" he stated curtly. I scowled at them, their unwavering faith in that monster they called comrade unsettling something within me. Memories of the most recent past, especially those of the demons of Tartaros flooded my mind. _Those demons hurt Gray… his father… I won't let another demon harm him_ I thought adamantly. As I thought this a pang of guilt went through me as it hit me once more what I had done to him in that castle tower room. _I kissed him. I put him in a bad position and he'll hate me for it_ I thought pessimistically. _Damn it!_

Before I could think about it any further a barrage of blood-red spheres shot out from the shadows. "You can't kill me" Blake's voice rang out as he stepped from the shadows. _Monster… monster…_ The unearthly voice of the sand creature sounded. Blake scowled, "Like you're one to talk, you've stole Natsu and Cyrus, you've attempted to kill us all, and you serve _him_ , you're damned Master, and _you_ will _die_ " he spat. He made a sphere of blue-black energy form in between his hands. "Die _NOW_ " he barked quickly, "Hell's Embrace; Dark Abyss". He threw the sphere of energy towards the sand creature, which squealed as it tried to block the attack with its arms. The sphere ripped through the sand effortlessly as it plunged into the creature's very core, expanding in a sudden eruption of darkness, accompanied by the dying scream of the sand creature, a pitiful sound that was soon cut off, leaving only a demon standing in the debris. Walter nodded. "Good bye… Nightmare of Dreams" he said quietly, earning a glare from Cyrus, who did not speak. We all stood dumbfounded for a moment before Freed released his spell and we could step out in safety. Blake turned to us, his demonic features receding.

"Easy" he said, before collapsing to the ground. Wendy and Cyrus were over to him in a flash, however as the Sky Dragon Slayer went to heal him Cyrus stopped her.

"Don't do that" he insisted.

"Why, I can heal him" she said, going to cast her spell, only for Cyrus to stop her once more.

"He isn't human… totally… he's half demon, so your spell won't work on him" the brunette Script mage said. Wendy looked at Blake, now totally human in appearance, before she returned her gaze to Cyrus. She looked as though she was about to say something but then shrugged and moved away. From what she, and all of us, had just witnessed, that very statement could be true. _He really could be a demon_ I thought. Gray seemed to read my thoughts. "Walter" he shouted out at the Requip mage, who stood a little distance away, observing something at the castle.

"Hmm…" he turned to Gray.

"What _is_ Blake?" Gray asked. Walter smirked and folded his arms.

"Yes, he _is_ a demon. Sort of. His elixir magic, as you just saw, can make him into a demon, however many of his potions contain Demon Particles, these make him a demon over time" Walter explained. Mirajane looked at Walter in a very straightforward way.

"In my magic, my body is also full of Demon Particles, but I'm not a demon, or even a half-demon really" the kindly Take-Over mage said. Walter nodded at her.

"Yes, that's true. But that's because, compared to you, Blake produces his _own_ particles now, due to how many elixirs he's taken over the years. It makes him have both demon _and_ human qualities to his body, and its why the sand's sleep properties did not affect him in the first place" Walter replied. Mirajane nodded, before looking over at Wendy, who in turn sat observing Cyrus and Blake. A tense silence filled the air as everyone awaited the awakening of the demon/human, however this did not last long. "You guys, that was some monster" Laxus said as he made his way over, Gajeel not far behind, "And I guess your buddy got beat up pretty bad, however I don't think it's a good idea to stay here" he added, nodding over to Gajeel as he walked up to the group.

"Yeah, there's a bunch more of those guys coming, so I suggest we high tail it outta here before we get caught in more fighting. There seems to be no end to these bandit guys" the Iron Dragon Slayer finished. Gray nodded, before looking down at me, from my place still sitting at his feet.

"Alright, good to go Natsu?" he asked. I nodded.

"Hell yeah, I want to get back to the guild so I can go and beat on someone to vent this energy I have building up" I smiled. Gray shook his head.

"You gotta _heal_ and _rest_ , first, knuckle head" he scolded. I laughed as he heled me to stand, thankful that he didn't decided to pick me up princess-style again. _I don't know if I could handle it being pressed to his chest for so long again, I could smell the pheromones in the air and I bet the other Dragon Slayers could to… I hope they don't realise it's me_ I thought, oblivious to something I would later find obvious.

It wasn't just me.

 **Chapter 6 End**

 **Next Chapter; Fighting's All I Know**


	7. Chapter 7 - Fighting's All I Know

**Chapter 7 – Fighting's All I Know**

 **Gray POV**

We had been back in Magnolia for two days now. After the fight with the Sandman we escaped just as more bandits were coming over the crest of the hill, thanks to the warning given to us by Laxus. I had carried Natsu most of the distance, however as we neared our goal he was becoming a little heavy for me alone, so Cyrus helped me the rest of the way. I was grateful to him, and to Walter and Blake, for helping me to save Natsu, however Natsu seemed a little off-putt from the power that both Cyrus and Blake displayed in their respective fights. When we arrived at the guild there was a cacophony of chaos as Gramps and the others ushered us inside with welcoming tones and hugs. I deposited Natsu on an infirmary bed, Blake was deposited on the one beside him. Whilst Natsu appeared to have suffered no physical injuries Porlyusica was there to ensure that the attacks from both the Sandman and the Succubus left no lasting magical ailment, much to Natsu's chagrin he was directly instructed by the healer to 'take it easy' for two to three days. I smirked as he complained and threatened the pink haired elder, much to no effect.

Blake woke up the following day. Walter and Cyrus took standing vigil over their comrade, taking it in turns whilst the other either hung around the guild hall, harassing everybody with either snarky comments from Walter or constant questions from Cyrus, or they mysteriously disappeared, wherever they went at night people still had no idea. I reserved myself to my apartment mostly. After laying Natsu down in the infirmary and watching him struggle I reported what I knew to Makarov, excluding a few choice details. It was those very 'choice details' that bothered me so much. I had visited Natsu at Erza's insistence, however I remained quiet; he seemed to do most of the talking anyways, acting as if nothing had changed between us, but that did not stop my thoughts. _He kissed me back… did he do it to save himself?_ I had found myself thinking. It was a worrying road my thoughts were treading, torn between outright asking the Dragon Slayer what it meant, and keeping it a buried secret, in the hopes no one found out. That was until I got a visit from someone.

"I'm coming… alright, geez" I sighed as I went over to the door. I was once more in my apartment, laying on my bed and thinking about things, until a rapid and heavy knocking was heard on the apartment door. It was loud and obnoxious so I could guess it was one of two people on the other side, and one of them was still confined at the guild. "Walter, _what a surprise_ " I said sarcastically as the dark haired Requip mage grinned.

"Hey, cockiness is _my thing_ , don't ruin it for me" he replied, cocking his head, "You gonna let me in?" I rolled my eyes and let him in. He had arrived at my apartment a couple of times now, often just to 'report' to me about Natsu and Blake's condition, since he knew I was uncomfortable to go down to the guild myself. It still surprised me that the first two people to know my long held secret we not even part of Fairy Tail.

"You know it's not only you who can do it, right?" I said as I walked over to my sofa, sitting down. Walter wandered around my apartment floor a bit, looking across at the town through the largest window in the room.

"Yeah… anyways… I know it's early, but I wanted to ask you about something" he said a little distractedly. He had already admitted he knew what had gone on at the tower room, so I couldn't think of what else he would want to talk to me about specifically. Except Natsu.

"Early? It's nearly midday" I replied casually, trying to hide my intrigue as to his visit, he wouldn't normally show up here except to report on Natsu so I figured there must have been a development of some kind. He smiled at me as he turned on his heel and began pacing up and down.

"You know why I'm here, right, for Natsu?" I nodded, _obviously…_ "Right. Well, he asked me to deliver a message to you," he paused for a moment to wait for me to give the signal to continue, I nodded. "He wants to see you in private behind the guild hall at 2PM. Something about a fight? Porlyusica gave him the all clear this morning and he's making the best use of it, it seems" Walter explained. I nodded once more.

"Okay, 2PM, I got it… Anything _else_?" I raised my eyebrows suggestively. Walter laughed.

"You only ever get that obvious with me" he commented, "No, nothing else, and also no, I've not been able to discern Natsu's feelings either, that's why I'd urge you to go. Stop locking yourself up in here, you told me before all that stuff at the castle that you were going to be not-so-straight with him" Walter winked, chuckling softly at his own wordplay. I sighed.

"Fine… I know you're right" I said, it was the truth after all. Walter nodded.

"Good, now… tidy yourself up and get ready for your meeting" he spoke, "I'll see myself out". He bowed before activating his Swift, disappearing without another word in a blur of motion, the only sound was the sudden opening and closing of the front door.

"Damn it. Now I really do have to face up to it" I swore aloud once I was alone.

/

I arrived at the guild hall around 1:30PM, dreading the meeting with Natsu now. After an hour and a bit of thinking I realised just how much this whole thing freaked me out. _He kissed me… did he know it was me?_ Was one of many questions that I had let fester in my head, pushing me nearer and nearer insanity.

"Hey Gray" Lucy greeted, walking over to me from the bar. She had been talking with Mira when I entered. "Haven't seen you around much lately. Not since that thing at the castle, is something bothering you?" she asked as she sat down. I looked intently at the blonde celestial wizard. _Should I tell her?_ It had crossed my mind before to tell someone about my feelings and what happened, however the only people I figured I could speak to it about was either Lucy or maybe Juvia, and I really worried about what they would think, especially knowing how _attached_ Juvia is to me.

"Oh, hey Lucy" I greeted coolly, "Yeah, I'm fine. Natsu asked me to go fight him or something so I figured I should just do it to shut him up for a while" I lied. Lucy sighed loudly.

"Honestly, is all he thinks about eating and fighting?" she said, tone exasperated. I laughed.

"Maybe… although… he thinks about stuff more than he lets on. Things like Igneel used to bother him, but after Face…" I went quiet. We were all aware of how Igneel's death had affected Natsu. It pushed him to be stronger, sure, but it also left a little bit of him empty, and many of us noticed how he would sometimes disappear off if the topic of Dragons or Acnologia arose. Lucy looked at me for a moment.

"Cheer up, I know Natsu is annoying but he's also kind and loyal, just fight him a bit and then he'll leave you along, okay?" she cocked her head, wearing a big smile. I sighed and nodded.

"Alright" I agreed. _If that was only the problem_ I added silently. Lucy nodded and got up.

"If you're meeting Natsu then he was outside last I checked, he was pretty 'fired up' after being let out of the infirmary this morning" she informed me. I bowed my head thankfully.

"Thanks, I will go see him now. Walter told me he'd been let loose when he saw me earlier" I told her. She chuckled.

"You're a lot friendlier to him than other people are" she examined, "Why's that I wonder?". I scoffed.

"I just have an _ability_ to ignore people who are irritating, I've had years to practice it" I boasted. Lucy laughed too and began walking away.

"I suppose that's true. I've gotta go now, but you deal with Natsu" she said, waving as she left the guild, Levy tagging along, as well as Cana I noticed. I waved at the retreating girl.

"Bye Lucy…" I breathed. _Fuck it, time's up_ I cursed as I turned to head off and find Natsu.

/

Natsu was outside just as Lucy said. "Hey Gray, you're earlier than I expected" Natsu said; he was busy doing push-ups on the ground and as he stood up to face me I could see the perspiration over his face and exposed chest. _Damn that's hot_ I thought, shaking my head to remove those distracting thoughts. "Hey Natsu, Walter said you wanted to fight me or something?" I sought confirmation from the Dragon Slayer. Natsu nodded his head vigorously, which tousled his salmon pink hair in the most perfec… _stop thinking like that_.

"Yeah, of course I want to fight. I gotta train" he said energy brimming in his voice. I sighed.

"Why do you always have to fight _me_ though?" I asked whiningly, it was a question that I had always had on my mind, but never really asked for an answer; it wasn't as if I was reluctant to fight him anyways. Usually.

Natsu grinned. "Cause no one fights with me like _you_ , Gray. You know my every move, every attack or block I'm going to make. _You make it fun, a challenge_ " he bounded with excitement. I looked at him, grinning and acting playfully childish and I thought to myself _Why don't I just tell him how I feel?_ His words stuck in my head. _You make it fun…_

I smirked at Natsu, "Alright then, Dragon Princess, let's see if you can still fight after that sand guy gave you so much trouble" I chided. Natsu laughed before swinging forward in a punch with his right arm. I blocked it with ease and went to counterattack with a kick, only to have that blocked by Natsu's leg. _And it begins_ I thought, each attack and opening we left was blocked or deflected, only to be counterattacked and blocked once more. It was a dance we had perfected over time, I bring my fist in to attack his stomach, Natsu blocks with well-placed arms and hands, he goes to kick at my feet, I jump sideways and try to counterattack with punch of my own. No matter what we did we each knew the other's actions before they even made them, making victory in our brawls completely out of our reach unless we tried some other tactic, or some other skill. It enhanced our ability to think on our feet.

"Natsu… wanna continue…?" I asked as I panted out a few breaths. We had been going now for about five minutes and it was becoming difficult to maintain already. Natsu grinned.

"Of course" he said, moving to go onto the offensive again. I blocked the punch I expected, however suddenly I noticed instead of counterattacking with a kick like I would normally I was having, instead, to defend from an uppercut from Natsu's other fist. _That's new…_ I thought, Natsu normally stuck to side attacks and forward blows, but now he was trying something different and I had to quickly shift my weight to avoid it. Natsu laughed victoriously as his attack struck me, only in the arm and not the face like he was intending, however it still hit. "That's a new one for you" I commented. Natsu nodded.

"I thought I might try something different… keep you on your toes…" he said. I grinned.

"Alright then, watch out for some new moves from me then too" I replied. Natsu snorted.

"Hah… like you could ever hurt me" he said. _I suppose that's true… just not in the way he thinks…_

"Bring it on" I shouted. He was happy to, crouching low and moving a bit more predatory. I brought myself into a defensive stance. Natsu was the first to make a move, he wasn't one for waiting. He charged forward, sending a flurry of kicks at me, which I blocked and defended before thrusting out my arm in a punch, only for Natsu to twist out of the way at the last moment. Natsu didn't stop, as he landed he leapt back up to attack with a kick from above, which I had to raise both arms above me to defend from. As I felt myself get pushed back from the force of the attack I noticed, too late, Natsu's other leg swipe sideways and I felt the connection in my side as I was spun around backwards. I caught myself in time, though, and was even able to catch Natsu with a leg swipe of my own, that knocked him off balance. As I returned to standing up I realised that Natsu had pushed me almost to the guild hall, a good distance lost from my original position. _He pushed me back?!_ I thought surprised, my inner self wanting, now, nothing more than to regain the space I had lost to the Fire Dragon Slayer, however he wasn't having any of it as he began his barrage of punches at me. I blocked and counter a few, landing a few quick jabs to Natsu, however they were nothing like his punches, his had a lot more weight behind them and as I staggered back I realised I was being beaten in this fight.

"You're… fighting a lot harder… now… than before…" I breathed in panted breathes. Natsu smirked wildly.

"Yep, and I'm winning" he responded cockily. I wiped a little sweat from my face with my hand before I spoke again.

"I'm not down yet though" I said. Natsu nodded.

"Not _yet_. Snowflake," he said, before send out a few more attacks, that pushed me back a few more steps, I was not ready for those blows. "You're out of room" Natsu added. I looked behind me only to find the guild hall's stony exterior at my back. _Damn it!_ I cursed as my competitive nature got the best of me, _if I wasn't so distracted with those thoughts I would be able to win this…_

I blamed myself as I considered giving in, just leaving the fight and getting away from Natsu once more. But my promise to Walter held me strong, oddly. I eyed up Natsu as he strode forward, as he got closer… and closer… then he was right on top of me, face to face… with my back against a wall. "N-Natsu…" I stuttered. He cocked his head.

"What is it, _Gray_?" He spoke my name weirdly, an odd emphasis on me that made me shudder, not in fear but in… lust… want… something?

/

 **Walter POV**

I watched as Gray approached Natsu from the guild and I grinned. Natsu had wanted to fight someone earlier, yes, but it wasn't the Ice Make wizard; I had orchestrated that part. He initially wanted to fight me or Cyrus to 'prove he was stronger than our guild', however I denied him on the spot, as did my brunette companion. This angered the Fire Dragon Slayer, until I suggested the very wizard he was now preoccupied with as an opponent. He had stopped in his tracks, face splitting into a ridiculous grin which confused Cyrus, however he agreed only on the condition that Gray came to him, and that's where I came in. After that it was easy, knowing what I do about Gray, as well as what I suspected about Natsu, and things played out exactly as I expected.

"What are you doing, Prime?" Cyrus asked as he appeared beside me. I was sitting on the guildhall balcony, overlooking the area where Natsu and Gray now fought.

"Just observing my handiwork" I said, gesturing below. Cyrus joined me at the balcony edge.

" _Blake_ has just gone to sleep again. That potion is doing exactly as we expected it would" he said flatly. I sighed.

"Well we can't expect him to take on _that_ much demonic power and be completely okay afterwards, right" I replied. Cyrus nodded, eyes scanning over something in the distance.

"Yes, that's true…" he said, voice somewhat distant. I followed his gaze and found him observing the people in the streets. "You know we can't stay here forever" he stated. I nodded, marveling in the flurry of blows Natsu was giving Gray.

"I know. But I want to stay here for a bit longer, it'll do us some good"

"They'll come for them… and us. _He_ won't let us interfere with his plans."

"I'm well aware of what _he'll_ do. But these wizards… they can protect and defend themselves, they will be fine. Plus… they are good to have around" I said. Natsu was now pushing Gray back somewhat; I admired the quick attacks the Dragon Slayer was capable of.

"That may be true, but the fact still stands that we put them in danger just by being here. If they found out they would have us leave" Cyrus replied. I stayed quiet for a moment, watching the fight with interest. "Prime?"

My attention returned to my comrade. "We are staying, _Digit_ " I insisted. He nodded. "I haven't seen you as talkative in a while, plus Blake is becoming a lot more open to them. We need to stay here for a while and… and remember what being human is" I added, eyes turning downcast.

Digit looked to me with a cold and logical stare, he was probably the worst of us to have changed since we became the Triplet Code. "Just be prepared for what may come. Your feelings don't reflect on what must be done" he reminded me, before turning to leave.

"I am prepared" I whispered confidently. As I looked back at the fight I now saw Natsu pinning Gray to the wall, Gray looking mightily uncomfortable. "Ah… now he finally makes his move…" I laughed. _This is easier than other stuff… people just need to confess their feelings… just like I wish I could have before I became what I am now… a vessel, empty and devoid of true humanity._

As I watched on I saw Natsu get even closer to Gray, with him pressed to the wall he had no escape from his feelings now. "You have to tell him… each other… both of you…" I thought aloud as they neared the final stage of my plan.

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu was inching closer, his breath now felt on my face. "Er… Natsu… what are you doing?" I asked. Natsu smiled.

"Just making sure you aren't going to make a break for it" he said happily. I looked at him intently. _Break from what?_

"Okaaaay… why would I want to run away?" I asked the pink haired man. He smiled with his eyes as well as his mouth.

"Because I want to ask you a question and you might not answer" he replied. I breathed in. _Is this going to be about what happened?_ I thought suddenly. "I want to ask you about… well… about when I was captured" I released my breath a little, less worried, but not completely out of the woods.

"What do you want to know?" I said hurriedly, it was getting hard to think straight with Natsu being pressed against me like this, hot and sweaty from our fight.

"I asked some people and they said you were adamant about saving me, so I wanted to ask if that was true, and why" Natsu said, voice level and even. I breathed in a few times to steady myself.

"Alright, yes it's true, but it was just because I was worried for you…" I said. Natsu cocked his head.

"I've been captured before, why did this time worry you?" he asked tone inquisitive, but voice still level. I pursed my lips for a second, that was an annoyingly good question to have come from him.

"Well… they were strong, Walter said so, and I was afraid of their powers" I said, not absolutely lying, but not being fully truthful.

"Alright. That makes sense but I want to ask you one more thing… did you have any… other thoughts… about it…" Natsu seemed to struggle to phrase the question. I thought about what he was asking me.

"What do you mean by that Natsu?" I asked, voice inside me screaming at me to just confess to him.

Natsu rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Well…" he took a deep breath in, "I just… we kissed…" he spoke it very mutedly, barely a whisper, "And… _do you think it meant anything_!" he blurted out. I looked at him astonished. "Im sorry, I just… when I felt myself being dragged in by that women's spell I knew I was done for… until I felt someone kissing me… and I didn't know who it was but I knew it would save me so I kissed back… it was selfish and I'm so sorry… I know you probably just did it to save me but… well…" he went quiet. I looked at him incredulously.

"Natsu…" I spoke breathlessly. He looked straight at me.

"Gray… please just tell me… do you have feelings for me?" he said, voice with a hint of finality to it. I was taken aback by his sudden additional question. I could feel the ache in my chest demanding me to admit what I felt, but I could also feel the pressure in my head to just curl up and deny everything.

"Natsu… I…" _I have feelings for you, say it!_ "I… I… do…" _like you_ "I don't have feelings… for you" I said at last. Natsu seemed to take this in, before smiling.

"Ah… okay then… I just wanted to know… I felt like I owed you but, well… I also didn't want it to get really awkward" he said, "Thanks for telling me though". I sighed.

"N-no problem" I replied. He still hadn't moved away.

"But can I just ask you one more thing?" he said. I sighed but nodded, it couldn't be anything worse than that. "Why did your heart just beat really heavy just now, were you lying?" I felt my jaw drop. I knew Dragon Slayer sense were good, I just didn't think Natsu would be that acute.

"Um… well…" I stammered. _Tell him_ …

"What, were you or weren't you lying?" he spoke jovially. I could tell he was enjoying this. _Damn him, I need to get out of here…_

"Er… I wasn't…" I said slowly, Natsu cocked his head.

"Sure?" he asked. I felt heat in my face and I knew I was blushing.

"Natsu… erm… can I ask _you_ something?" He nodded. "Well… when you kissed that person in… that darkness… did you _feel_ anything?" I asked. _You're a coward. Tell him then he'll tell you._

"What, do you mean _do I have feelings for you?_ Or was it just circumstantial?" I nodded. He grinned. "Why don't you tell me one last time you _don't_ have feelings for me? Then I'll tell you" he chuckled. _Why won't he just give this up_?

"Alright, I do have feelings for you" I said quickly, Natsu laughed harder.

"I thought you said you _didn't_ " he grinned. I scoffed.

"That's what I said idiot, you need your hearing checked" I replied. _Did you really say that you didn't?_ I questioned myself suddenly. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"You really did just say it; you know" he smirked. I felt a sudden need to die as I realised what I had done. _You've admitted it!_ I screamed internally. "Now, as for your question to me, here's my answer" Natsu said, getting uncomfortably near to me once more.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. Natsu grinned.

"This…" he kissed me.

/

 **Walter POV**

I watched in a crouch from my perch above as the two talked in quiet about something. I listened in but could only catch every little bit. "Just do it" I quietly willed them on.

"Why don't you tell me one last time you _don't_ have feelings for me?" I heard Natsu say, obviously Gray had denied it. _Oh Gray…_ I thought as I awaited Gray's response.

"Alright, I do have feelings for you" he said quickly. _He's done it, even if it was by accident_ I thought as I heard Natsu's laughter and Gray's shocked responses.

"I thought you said you _didn't_ " Natsu said giggling.

"That's what I said idiot" Gray replied harshly. _Obviously hasn't realised yet… 1… 2… 3…_

"You really did just say it; you know" Natsu said. I could hear Gray's panted breaths now. _There it is_ I exclaimed. "Now, as for your question to me, here's my answer" Natsu said, getting very close to Gray once more.

Then they kissed. I grinned as I stood up from the crouched position I was in to hear them.

"There is the best guild dynamic around; love" I smirked as I turned to walk away, "And I knew they'd figure it out eventually, predictable" I shrugged, "Guess I'm just so smart".

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu was kissing me… was pressed up against me…

I couldn't resist it any more, my body acted on its own and I kissed him back. I could feel him smiling into the kiss, his eyes were closed, and he looked perfect. After a few moments he broke away. "Does that answer satisfy you?" he asked, eyebrows raised. I found myself smiling despite it all.

"It does. Very much" I said. Natsu smiled at me brighter at that.

"Can I ask you something?" he said happily.

"Again" I sighed, "What? Was this not enough proof?"

"No, it's not this… I wanted to ask why you never told me" he said. I cocked my head.

"Why I never told you? What, just stroll up and go 'Hey Natsu, I know we fight a lot, and you probably hate my guts, but I really like you'" I replied sarcastically. Natsu laughed a little as he moved to leave me. I took his wrist to stop him, so he looked back at me.

"You have a point. Can I sit down now? Those kicks were hard work for my legs" he said. I let him go and sit down, before sitting down opposite him, both with our backs to the wall.

"Why did you fight like that anyways? You have used those tactics before" I said, looking at him a little more calmly now. Natsu chuckled with a grin.

"Walter told me to. He set this up… the fight I mean… and he said to try to pin you down" Natsu explained. I took this in. _He set_ me _up too then…_

"Alright. So… I never told you because I was afraid but… did you ever think… you know?" I asked cautiously.

Natsu gave this a little thought. "I guess I never really thought about it. But I did feel _something_ … I guess. I always wanted to be around you, but fighting was the only way we could do that so… I don't know… maybe I always liked you…". I listened carefully to what he was saying, more so than I had ever done before.

"So we're both idiots then?" I said. Natsu laughed.

"Maybe… what should we… erm…" he seemed stuck on something.

"You mean how should we move forward? Like, do we want to date or not?" I asked helpfully. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. I mean… we've already kissed and… you've seen me naked… oh shit… I just realised I came when I was in that bed because of that spell" Natsu barked out. I grinned.

"Yeah" I said, "Nearly got it on me too, if I hadn't shifted out of the way" I laughed. Natsu scowled.

"Don't laugh, that was the first fucking ti-" Natsu chocked on his own words. I looked at him with surprise.

" _That_ was your first time. You like… never did… _anything_ before?" I said, unable to hide any surprise from my voice. Natsu pouted.

"So what? It was… but… Igneel told me something about Dragon Slayers once, said I wouldn't understand until I was older… that it would…" he stuttered. I patted him on the head.

"It's alright, I don't mind at all. And I won't tell anyone"

"Right. Thank you…" Natsu said, smiling again, "but that doesn't answer my other question". I thought about it before I spoke.

"I wouldn't mind being boyfriends… it depends on whether you want to…" I replied.

"I don't mind. But if we're boyfriends does that mean we go on dates?" Natsu asked hastily. I shrugged.

"Again, it depends on if you want to. But before that we should decide whether we tell anyone" I replied. Natsu pursed his lips in thought before answering with a curt nod.

"Alright, how about this… we go on a date and see where it takes us. If we want to tell people then we tell people, if we don't we don't, okay?" he said, a glint in his deep dark-green eyes. I smiled broadly.

"Sounds great" I said, "I'll take _you_ out, since I already saw you naked it seems like the least I can do, then… I don't know, we'll figure something out" I added. Natsu grinned.

"I look forward to it" he said, before kissing me again. _I can't believe this is happening, we're kissing… AND WE'RE GOING ON A DATE._

I couldn't have been any happier.

 **Chapter 7 End**

 **Next Chapter; Little Problem**


	8. Chapter 8 - Little Problem

**Chapter 8 – Little Problem**

 **Natsu POV**

I tossed and turned, the blankets knotted around me like a cloth cocoon. "Natsu… Natsu…" Happy cried out as he tried to unravel me from the blankets.

"So… hot…" I panted as I shot bolt upright, freed from my imprisonment. "Sorry" I mumbled to Happy as he flew slightly above me to avoid getting hit by my previously flailing arms and legs.

"It's okay, we're you having a nightmare?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, I was just… really… hot inside… like a fire, except it actually was burning me" I said, trying to get my own thoughts straight as I explained things to the exceed.

"You've said that before. This is the fourth time in two days you've woken up like this, are you sure you're okay?" he asked, concern clear in his feline features. I nodded and sent him a smile.

"Yeah, I know I keep waking you up when I do this. Sorry little buddy" I apologised, rubbing the back of my head. It was true that since the agreement me and Gray made I had begun to have strange dreams and I kept waking up hot, sweating, and flustered. What made it worse was that Gray seemed completely fine so I just decided it must be something wrong with me and I ignored it.

"If you're sure you're okay then I'm going back to sleep" Happy said, floating over to the door. "I think I'll sleep on the couch so you don't wake me again, okay?" he grinned, leaving before I could even say anything. I wouldn't have done anything anyways, I already felt bad for having repeatedly awoken my exceed buddy on a few occasions already.

"Okay…" I breathed, knowing he probably couldn't hear me, "I need to figure this out, before tomorrow night" I said aloud, resolving to sort my own little issue out before my date with Gray. With that resolution I lay back down in my bed, trying to sort things out in my head as I felt myself return to sleep, the Ice Make wizard was the foremost thing on my mind right up until the blackness of sleep claimed me.

 _Is it because I'm a Dragon Slayer?_ I thought sleepily.

/

 **The next morning**

I awoke once more, this time to a shallow sunlight filtering in through the gaps of my drawn curtains. "What… time is… it?" I yawned out, only then remembering that Happy was not in the room. "Oh… right… it happened again last night" I recalled as I checked the time. It was only 6AM. _Damn it… I don't want to be sleepy for tonight_ I cursed mentally. I rolled over onto my side and looked at the light filtering in through the covered window. "I wonder what Gray is doing right now?" I mumbled. It wasn't that hard, surprisingly, for me to picture it; Gray sleeping in his bed, hair all messed up against his pillow, muscled chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm of sleep. _We only just admitted to each other two days ago and I'm already thinking like this_ I thought amusedly, _maybe after tonight it might get worse_ I added, _maybe I'll start picturing him doing other 'things' in his bed_ I grinned. No matter how guilty I tried to feel, every time I thought about Gray like that I always ended up grinning stupidly.

After a little while and a lot more thoughts about the Ice Make wizard I finally decided to get out of bed. "It may be early but I might be able to get some sleep in later. I'll nap before I go out" I spoke to myself, planning my day as I stretched. I had slept naked last night and I only just realised now that Happy could very well have caught me with a boner last night, had it not been for the suffocating sheets. "Shit… I should probably make sure that doesn't happen" I cursed as I tidied up the bed somewhat, covers no longer in a crumpled heap, before getting changed for the day. Once that was done I checked to see if Happy was asleep on the sofa.

"Good morning Natsu" the exceed beamed, sitting comfortably on a cushion on the sofa. I smiled at him.

"Good morning, little buddy. Did you sleep okay?" I asked, still feeling a little guilty about having woke him last night. He nodded at me.

"Much better since I didn't have some crazy attack during the night" he replied, grinning as I sent him a little scowl of disapproval. He giggled.

"Sorry 'bout that Happy, I'll make it up to you. Anyways I don't think you need to worry about it tonight since I'll be out late" I said. Happy raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing tonight Natsu?" he asked, tone sounding suspicious. I grinned.

"Me and Gray are just going out to do something, we shouldn't be too long, but just in case…" I shrugged as I made my way over to the kitchen, I could hear Happy getting up to pad alongside me.

"Why would you go do something with Gray, you two fight all the time" the exceed said, narrowing his eyes accusingly at me, "What are you really doing?". I shook my head.

"I _really_ am just going out with Gray" I said, amusing myself with the little hint I gave in my last sentence. Happy shook his head.

"Fine, don't tell me then, just don't expect me to back you up next time you two argue" he whined, moving to the front door. "I already ate so I'm going to the guildhall" he said pouting. I waved him off.

"It's a little early yet, I'm going to get some breakfast and then I'll meet you there" I said. Happy sent me a casual 'Aye sir' as he flew off towards the guild. Once I was alone I spoke aloud. "He never caught on, but he was right… it's going to be hard explaining this to people since me and Gray always used to argue. We'll have to be careful, I don't want people to know yet" I thought vocally. "But I am really excited for this, I can't believe I finally get to go on a date with _Gray_ , I mean… I always wanted to but…" I found I no longer had the words I needed to express myself as I sat down with a quick breakfast and a glass of water. _I wonder if it's Gray who's causing me to keep… waking up?_ I thought as I ate, considering my problem carefully. It seemed like the only possible cause, especially since it didn't start until the day after out fight. Once more I was left wondering if it was because of my Dragon Slayer status as I wolfed down the remainder of my breakfast and got up. "I wanna take a quick shower and then I'll head out. I want to get to the guild before Gray, so I can ask him about everything" I said, before heading over to my bathroom, stripping down and showering quickly.

 _I wonder if he has the same problem as me?_ I thought.

/

 **Gray POV, later that morning**

I awoke quite early this morning, earlier than normal anyways; the last few days had been blissful for me. After me and Natsu shared our secret I found that my dreams changed from the more intense fear-filled nightmares, full of denial, to hotter, more soothing dreams of me and Natsu together in various _scenarios_. Without the problem of sleep deprivation, I found that I was a lot calmer and less aggressive towards my fellow guildmates, and even more interestingly I was able to tolerate Natsu and his antics much more, much to everyone's relief.

Natsu and I had agreed to keep everything a secret until our date, so when we were around the guildhall or our friend's we pretended as if nothing had ever changed, however as soon as we were in private we began discussing matters, mostly relating to the date. It had been agreed that I would take Natsu out, however there were still plenty of other decisions to be made, such as clothing choices, restaurant types, and any other activities we wanted to do together. Natsu didn't seem to care much, he was just happy to be with me, or so he claimed, which gave me pretty much full reign over the whole evening, much to my liking. I had planned a pleasant evening, not _too_ romantic or obvious, I didn't want to make Natsu uncomfortable after all, but I did plan a few silly things just to test how he felt about us being together like that. _Plus, it will help me gauge how he feels about the relationship and how he feels it should progress_ I had thought seriously as I schemed. Now tonight was the night and I would have to hope that Natsu didn't just run off and hide before it got started.

With that goal in mind I set off from my apartment at about 8AM. "Hey Gray" I heard a voice beaming out to me as I walked about the town. I had been in no rush to get to Fairy Tail so I felt like strolling around a little first, maybe seeing if there was anything interesting on at the market. I turned to face the owner of the voice as they approached me. "Hey Lucy" I shouted at her as she made her way over to me.

"I was just on my way to the guild to see you but I saw you here" she said as she fell into step beside me, both heading towards the guild now.

"Really, what did you need to see me for?" I asked the blonde as we walked. She smiled.

"I've got a job but I need your help with it" she said, voice giving off a slightly pleading tone. I sighed.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked. She smiled.

"I need your Ice Maker magic so you can create a little key for me" she explained. I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"What's the job? And when do you need it?" I asked. She pulled out a flyer from her bag, handing it to me to look at.

"It's for today and I need you to make a key for a safe so that I can get _this_ ring" she jabbed a finger at the image on the flyer "back from some thief who stole it, and the whole safe, in one go" she added. I scanned over the flyer contents.

"I can help you, but not today, I've got other plans with Natsu today" I said. Lucy pouted.

"Since when did you two become such good friends" she replied sarcastically. I smiled calmly.

"It's just a little something we planned for tonight, so I can help you maybe tomorrow, or maybe the day after, but not today" I said.

"But Graaaay…" she whined. I tutted.

"No. I said it and that's final" I said, tone turning a little mocking and condescending. Lucy whined.

"But I need the money" she defended hopelessly. I shook my head adamantly.

"No. If you need the money work out another way to do the job without me" I said flatly. She pouted before storming off.

"Fine then, I'll go see if Laki can do it with her wood" she said angrily. I rolled my eyes.

"Good." I pouted, before turning the corner and heading towards the guild. _I don't want any distractions before tonight_ I thought as I entered. As soon as I was inside I scanned around to see if Natsu was anywhere, once I spotted his pink hair at one of the fair tables I made my way over. _I've only gotta ask him about what time we want to meet up, and where…_ I thought absentmindedly, only stopping when I reached the table and was met with the sounds of snores.

"Natsu?" I questioned, before looking more closely to see that the Fire Dragon Slayer was asleep. "Okay, that's weird" I voiced. _Natsu doesn't normally sleep in the guild… especially since he knows what'll happen to him._ I grinned evilly at the prospect.

/

I sat opposite the sleeping Dragon Slayer for about ten minutes, debating whether or not I should do what I would normally and draw on his face. The idea was tempting, however I didn't want anything to jeopardize this evening, so eventually I decided against it, opting for a more peaceful solution. "Oi, Flame Brain" I shouted at Natsu, who murmured something in his sleep. "Damn it, he really does sleep like a log" I cursed, "Natsu… Natsu… Get up…" I shoved him a little this time. This gained a response as Natsu swatted at me with his arm, clearly awake now.

"Shut up Gray, I need to sleep" he said tiredly. I cocked my head at him, before leaning in to whisper close to his ear.

"But I want to _talk_ to you… it's about our little…" I winked as Natsu raised his head to rest his chin on his arms.

"Alright… what is it?" he asked, voice still showing tiredness, but eyes glittering with a great deal more interest.

"I just wanted to ask you what time you wanna meet up" I said casually. Natsu pouted in thought for a moment.

"Um… is it okay if it's a little later?" he asked, I nodded.

"Sure" I said. Natsu went quiet for a moment before answering again.

"Okay, about 7 or 8PM?" he asked. I took the two choices to mind.

"Eight would be better, then I can make sure all the reservations and stuff are sorted" I commented. Natsu grinned from his laying position.

"Great, see you at 8PM then" he said. I grinned.

"Fine, I can't wait. Are you sure you're okay though, you were sleeping in the guild and that's not really like you" I replied. He rested his head back down in his arms.

"Yeah… just a little tired, can I go back to sleep now?" he said. I shook my head.

"If you want to yeah, but wouldn't you rather be at home?" I asked, genuinely concerned, especially since I didn't want Natsu too sleepy for our date later. He raised his head back up to look at me.

"Would you walk with me if I go home?" he asked, eyes pleading. This was not the first time Natsu had made the request since our revelation, and it would not be the first time I said yes to it either. I grinned.

"You're so needy… but of course I will" I laughed gesturing for him to get up. Natsu pouted as he got up from his table.

"Shut up, I'm a Dragon Slayer and I can take care of myself. Heck… I did so for a whole year, remember?" he retorted. I nodded and patted him on the head.

"Who's a good Dragon" I mocked. He snorted.

"I'm starting to think that maybe this whole _thing_ " he emphasized the word specifically, "might not be a good idea, since you act like such an idiot" he chuckled. I knocked him on the head as we walked out.

"Shut up Natsu, I was just joking around… _you know I wouldn't do anything bad to you deliberately"_ I whispered. He nodded.

"I know" he whispered back as we walked to Natsu's forest home. We walked in relative quiet after that, only interspaced with a few 'sorry' s or 'excuse me' s as we wandered through the crowds. Not once did I stop being by Natsu's side. He didn't seem to pay that much attention to me as we strolled about the town, however I couldn't help but give the pinkette a few choice glances up and down as we walked. _Broad shoulders, muscles and a smile to kill at a hundred paces… there is no one better than that_ I thought as I looked Natsu up. After a little while we reached a quieter street and I noticed Natsu stall to wait for me to catch up. I, admittedly, had lagged behind to _observe_ him walking ahead, however now he stood waiting I found myself almost jogging to catch up.

"Something wrong?" Natsu asked. I shook my head.

"No. I was just… erm…" I found myself at a loss for an excuse. Natsu grinned, with a slightly dark expression on his face.

"You were just erm… checking me out?" he offered, "Giving me a _look_?" he laughed, "Or were you just being a pervy popsicle as usual?" I laughed a little at that last one.

"Okay, so you noticed" I commented, "does that freak you out?" Natsu shook his head.

"It's fine if it's _you_ " he said, "And if you want you can hang around with me at my place, I'll be asleep though, so no _funny_ business" he eyed me up skeptically. I held my hands up, although his tone was somewhat sarcastic I did honestly consider his offer.

"No, I would really like to but… I've got a few things to finish off, so I'll just walk you to your house if that's okay?" He nodded.

"Fine with me, just don't go sneaking in my bedroom to take a peak when I'm sleeping, okay Ice Princess" he laughed as I lightly swung my fist at him, dodging it with ease.

"Shut it Flame Brain, or I'll leave you right here" I retorted. He shook his head and continued walking.

"You coming or what?" he said, unfazed by my taunt. I shrugged and began following him, deciding it best not to hang back as I had been doing; although Natsu didn't seem to mind it took some little bit of fun out of it to know he already knew what I was doing. _But I bet he wouldn't think twice about doing it to me too, even if I did know_ … I commented internally, the idea bringing a slight smile to my face as we entered the outskirts of Magnolia town.

/

We reached Natsu's house, him only turning to look at me directly once he was standing in front of the door. "Guess I'll see you later" I said casually to him, as he grinned back shaking his head.

"Nuh uh" he motioned for me to come closer. I smirked as I did so, until I was standing only a step away from Natsu, who grinned brighter, "I just wanted to tell you one last thing" he said cheerily. I got a little closer.

"What?" I asked, with mocking innocence in my voice. He laughed as I felt a strong grip on my waist, him pulling me close.

"This…" he said, before kissing me briefly, "I really am looking forward to tonight" he said. I laughed before I kissed him back.

"Me too, now… you go get some sleep whilst I go sort some stuff out" I said, Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, okay" he replied, seemingly a little reluctant to actually remove his arms from my waist, meaning I had to make the first move to leave.

"Come on Natsu, we're not _that_ attached to each other, are we?" I asked, my tone was joking but inside I really wanted to hear his response.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "I was just being friendly _Gray_ " he said, his emphasis of my own name causing me to shiver with a sudden pleasure. I hoped he did not see that.

"That was a little more than _friendly_ " I replied, before turning to leave, "But it doesn't matter, we _are_ going on a date so I suppose it's okay". I could hear Natsu chuckling contentedly to himself as he opened the door.

"Yeah I suppose that too" he said before the door closed. I was a little saddened, much to my surprise, that we hadn't done anything more than a couple of quick kisses, however that was rectified quickly as thoughts about our date, as well as what it could lead to, popped into my head. I took a deep breath to keep a level head. _One thing at a time. I've got the place and time sorted, kind of, just got to make the final reservation. Now I need to decide what to wear…_ I thought logically, working my way through the mental list as I plodded back to Magnolia town. _And I also need to decide if I should get him a present or not, like… flowers maybe… no that's too silly_ I thought as I walked on, a slight smile on my face. _Maybe… maybe I could get him something like that though…_ I grinned evilly at the thought, taking a little too much enjoyment from this idea now rooted in my head.

 _I wonder how Natsu would react to it though?_

/

A little while later I ran into the guild, my plans finished off at last. I found Lucy with Levy and sat down with the pair. "Hey you two" I said, breath panting as I had bolted to the guild. I don't know why but I had the sudden urge to return here and see if Natsu had come by. Since I had set off with him earlier no one had seen him and it was becoming oddly quiet without him around. "Hey Gray" Levy said, putting down the book she had in her hand, closing it whilst marking her page. Lucy smiled.

"Did you just do some kind of race Gray?" she asked, I shook my head.

"No, just felt like going for a run" I said, half truthfully. "Is Natsu about?" I added after scanning around the hall, no sign of flames, pink hair, or Natsu's loudness anywhere. Eerie.

Lucy shrugged, "I haven't seen him since this morning, he seemed a little tired" she said. I nodded.

"Yeah, he was. That idiot was going to sleep in the guild, but I told him to go home just so I wouldn't have to hear his damned snoring" I lied somewhat. Lucy and Levy nodded in understanding.

"It must be a Dragon Slayer thing" Levy said, "Gajeel's pretty bad too". I nodded, trying not to picture Gajeel in bed with a passion. It was no secret the relationship between the pair, and whilst I had no objections to it, naturally, I just found it weird to think of Gajeel being all romantic, or even a little caring. Plus… the only one I was really interested in seeing in bed was Natsu.

"Yeah, must be…" I muttered, trailing off as a sequence of interesting images popped into my head of Natsu. Lucy didn't seem to notice as she resumed her conversation with Levy. After spacing out for a moment I found the two girls eying me up. "Gray!" Lucy shouted, I startled.

"What? What's going on?" I said confused, before realising the two must have asked me something. Lucy sighed.

"Quit spacing out. We asked you if you'd help on my job tomorrow, since it couldn't be done today and no one else has taken it the client has extended the deadline, were you even listening to me?" Lucy whined. I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, whatever… I'll help tomorrow" I said. She smiled victoriously.

"Good. Now that's settled me and Levy have got something to do with Cana and Mira… oh… and Lisanna" she said, smiling broadly. I shrugged.

"Okay, go do it then" I said bluntly. She pouted at me but left anyways, Levy following her out whilst picking up her book. The blue haired Script mage smiled at me and waved, earning me a slight glance from Gajeel at the bar.

"Bye Gray" she said as she followed her friend over to the Straus sisters, who were both at the bar too.

"Whatever…" I said, before returning to my derailed train of thought. "Now… where was I?" I smirked stupidly.

Before I could even return to it though a hand tapped me on the shoulder. "I believe you owe me a thank you" a voice said. I turned my gaze to the area above me, only to find a grinning mage.

"What are you talking about Walter?" I asked bored and wanting to return to my own slightly pervy thoughts. Walter grinned wider.

"I said ' _I believe you owe me a thank you'_ " he repeated. I cocked my head before I realised what he meant.

"What, for setting me up you mean?" I asked. He nodded and made a face palm gesture.

"Obviously… geez, am I the only one who understands what goes on around here? I mean… not only were you totally obvious this morning with Natsu, but you are also spacing out" he commented. I blushed slightly, before swallowing it down.

"Y-you… saw us?!" I asked in shock; it hadn't occurred to me that anyone was watching me and Natsu _that_ closely this morning. Walter barked out laughter.

"I wasn't so much as watching as… _observing my handiwork_ " he smirked. I had to gulp down a small lump in my throat.

"Ah… okay… well then… d-did anyone else see?" I asked hesitantly. Walter shook his head.

"No. But you made it pretty easy, if you want people to know that is" he commented. I shook my head.

"No, we agreed not to. Does that mean you'll…?" I trailed off. The dark haired mage held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I won't say, and neither will Blake" he promised. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you" I said, Walter did a mock bow of his head, "But me and Natsu aren't ready yet… to… you know. _We are going on a date later though. Tonight._ " I whispered mutedly. Walter nodded in approval.

"You two are fine. You'll go out then and talk about it?" he asked with a slight cocked of his head before resting his head on the back of the booth seat, eyes observing me with amusement, but also a little seriousness. I nodded.

"That's sort of the idea" I said, "However…"

"What? Something wrong?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No it's just… Natsu was really tired this morning, that's not like him. And I don't know if that's because he's afraid or nervous or…" I couldn't say any more. Walter sat up a bit straighter, putting on a slightly more serious expression, but still with his ever-present smirk.

"I'm sure he's okay, but if you really are worried why not ask Happy, or Lisanna? They always seem to know what's going on in Natsu's head… mostly" he offered, a slight chuckle at the implication of the other 'things' that have been going on in Natsu's head recently. I could feel myself nod before I realised.

"Thanks Walter… again. I might go ask Happy, I'm pretty sure he sleeps in Natsu's room so he'll know what's going on" I responded. Walter nodded.

"Good boy, go find that cat" he said. I stood up, trying to ignore Walter's last final comment before leaving the Requip mage to find Natsu's exceed partner.

"Where could Happy be?" I pondered as I explored. _I hope he knows what's wrong with Natsu, but… could I explain why I'm asking? Does it… is it alright if I tell him what we plan on doing? Or should Natsu be the one to break it to him?_ These thoughts all intruded in my head as I located the blue exceed.

/

Happy was training, or more accurately annoying, Carla and Wendy outside the guild. I approached carefully, trying to consider how I was going to ask the exceed what I wanted to know. "No no Happy" Carla was scolding him, "To transform properly you have to use more magical power, and less messing around". Wendy was sitting nearby watching the two so instead of immediately going for my intended target I decided to talk to the Sky Dragon Slayer first.

"Hiya Gray" Wendy beamed. I looked down at her spot on the ground before joining her.

"Hi Wendy. I was just coming to get Happy… what are they doing?" I asked, looking at the exceeds. Wendy followed my gaze.

"Oh… Carla is trying to teach Happy some transformation so he can be human some of the time like her" Wendy explained cheerily, "But it looks like it's harder on Happy than it was for Carla" she added. I nodded.

"Transformation magic can be quite hard" I spoke from experience. Although I never really admit it I had tried a couple of transformations before, however I struggled to get past some basic stuff. Wendy was nodding.

"Yeah, it is. I'm surprised Carla picked it up so fast as she did" the girl said. I smiled, it was amusing to see how much people had changed over the year we were not together, and even more amusing was how nothing had changed at all. _Well… you joined a dark guild and committed some crimes…_ a little voice in my head whispered, _all the while they trained and got stronger._ I dropped some mental ice on that thought whilst I could, burying it for a while to be dealt with later. _This first, that later_ I rationally noted, focusing on the task at hand.

"Hey Happy" I called out, somewhat startling the pair. "I need to talk to you". Happy looked over to me with a mixture of hatred and relief. Relief from a break of training, but hatred for destroying his little time with Carla. I smiled as he came over on his wings.

"What is it Gray? I'm kinda busy with _Carla_ here" he stressed the other female exceed's name as much as he could. I shrugged.

"It'll only take a minute if we can talk in private…" I looked to Went, who got up.

"Sure, I'll just go over there with Carla" she said politely, pointing to a spot a distance away. Carla followed her partner and the pair began talking as I lowered my voice to speak to Happy.

"Right, we're alone. What is it?" Happy asked. I looked at him carefully.

"Well… I noticed, that is me and Lucy noticed, that Natsu was a little tired, asleep even, earlier… we just wanted to know if he was okay" I said, carefully choosing my words. Happy seemed to give the matter a little thought.

"Err… Natsu hasn't been sleeping very well… for the last couple of days at least. Don't know why" he answered honestly. I noted the time, 'couple of days'. _Since the kiss then_ I noted.

"Oh, so… is there any _particular_ reason do you think?" I probed. Happy again gave a look of deeper thought before speaking again.

"Weeeell… he keeps waking up, complaining of being hot and sweating… it's kinda gross" Happy responded once more. I nodded, taking in all the details. _Hot and sweating? Maybe it's a Dragon Slayer thing, like Levy said… sort of_? I thought. Happy looked at me intently before I realised I had gone quiet.

"Oh, err… thank you Happy. If that's all I'll let you get back to your _little session_ " I said, giving the cat a wink. He smiled happily, before whispering one last thing as I left.

"I'm a little worried about him" he said quietly. I nodded to show I heard and understood, before returning to the guild hall to think. My only thought as I left the cat; _I'm worried too._

/

 **Natsu POV 8PM, outside the guild hall**

I was waiting anxiously for Gray to arrive. After he had seen me to my house earlier today I had slept for several hours, apparently not even waking up for the loud obnoxious thumping of Erza at my door. Lucy had warned me when she saw me waiting that Erza was angry with me. _That was something I could really do without. I'm already tired and… nervous… and now I've got a pissed off red headed demon who'll rip me to pieces the next chance she gets_ I had thought annoyed.

That annoyance had passed as fear set in. Whilst waiting for Gray I had allowed my mind to wander, and although several happy images had popped up there was also some darkness. Mainly to do with Gray never wanting anything to with me again after this because I'm such an idiot who will never be able to give him the life he deserves. I let out a large sighing breath, considering just running back to my house in the woods and pretending to still be asleep. _No. That would hurt Gray more_ I reprimanded myself vociferously. "Hey Natsu, you look good" a voice sounded behind me, coming from the street. I spun around to the familiar sound of Gray's voice. I smiled at him, all my fear instantly gone as I saw the Ice Mage I loved more than I cared to ever admit.

"Thanks, you too" I said cheerily. Gray was wearing a dark blue shirt that fitted him perfectly, with some proper dark blue-black (it was hard to tell which) trousers, and dark black shoes. I gave him another look up and down before I began to feel embarrassed. He had obviously made quite the effort for our date whereas I had come wearing a dark red, closed waistcoat, with red and white trousers, similar to my regular ones, and my usual sandals. Gray smiled warmly at me before getting a little closer.

"You really do look good Natsu" he said, "And yes, I know you were thinking that. It was obvious from your cute little blush that matches your hair" he commented. I both hated and loved how he noticed these little features.

"Err… sorry" I apologised. He cocked his head.

"Why? You were just thinking, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Then there is nothing wrong. Now… do you want to go to the restaurant first, or take a walk?" he asked. I considered the options.

"I've kinda slept all day so I'm hungry" I offered. Gray nodded smartly before looking at his watch.

"The reservation is at 8:30 so we can stroll over there now if you want?" he sought confirmation. I nodded. "Then that's settled. I was worried that you might be a bit tired still so I made sure to plan ahead and booked us a slightly earlier reservation than I had planned originally" Gray admitted as we began walking together. I sighed, obviously I had caused him yet more worry. _Stupid…_

"I'm sorry" I apologised once more. Gray raised an eyebrow.

"For being tired?" he asked. I nodded again. "Don't apologise, it's not like you Natsu, and anyways… Happy said you were having some trouble… at night" Gray stuttered slightly as we both stopped in a relatively empty and quiet street. I looked into his eyes, searching for any worry there. There was none.

"Oh… so he told you?" I questioned. He nodded.

"Only when I asked. He said that you kept feeling hot" Gray spoke softly. I found myself edging nearer to him without realising.

"Yeah. I kind of… that is I…" I took a deep breath in. Gray looked as if he was about to encourage me to 'just admit it', however I beat him to it. "I have been having dreams about you" I said at last. Gray seemed slightly, only slightly, surprised by this.

"Good to see I'm not the only one" he said with a smirk.

 **Chapter 8 End**

 **Next Chapter; Where to next?**

 **Extra Note;** I'm considering a little 'love rivalry' in the next couple of chapters, maybe, but I just wanted to see if people had an opinion on it. So if you guys think I should do it, or if you want to recommend who to put as the rival I will be more than happy to see you're responses, just PM me or leave a review, which ever. Or alternatively go to AO3 and post a comment :)


	9. Chapter 9 - Where to next?

**Chapter 9 – Where to next?**

 **Natsu POV  
** Gray stood grinning as I took a deep breath in. "I have been having dreams about you" I said, speaking in a very finite tone. After letting it out I looked to observe Gray's reaction. His eyes showed a small amount of surprise, however this was minute in comparison to the all-eclipsing bright smile he was wearing.

"Good to see I'm not the only one" he beamed. I cocked my head, surprise and a little confusion forming on my features.

"Not the only what?" I asked him. Gray chuckled before gesturing for me to take his hand.

"I'll tell you over there, idiot. It's a little too _public_ standing in the middle of the street like this" he said, pointing at a nearby side street. I took his hand, still confused, and he led us over to the side street. Once we were enveloped in its shadow he pushed me up against the wall, hands around my hips he stood close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin. I felt a sudden jolt of heat zip around my body and I suddenly became worried that I would start to have another of those 'little problems' right here in front of Gray. Gray simply smiled at me as he held me close, strong but tender grip around my sides and along the small of my back.

"So you're not the only what Gray?" I repeated my other question momentarily, trying to avoid the distracting thoughts I was now experiencing. Gray continued to smile brightly, as he leant in to explain.

"I also had dreams about _you_ , Natsu" he said, voice hushed and surprisingly inviting, if not for the other questions I now had in my head. "I had dreams for… a while now, I admit it" he said, tone sounding as if he was ashamed. I cocked my head.

"Did you not like those dreams?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"I… both… well, it was hard, okay. I knew deep down I liked you, but… I guess I just didn't want to admit it" he sighed. I took this in.

"But now you do? Or you have, to me" I said. Despite my worries about my own dreams it concerned me greatly if Gray had any doubts about _us_ , especially with the way I know _I_ feel about _him_. Gray seemed to take in what I was asking him, waiting a moment before answering.

"I do, yes. I admitted them to you… and… it was true" he said, voice becoming a little more confident once more. I smiled a little at hearing that, my own doubts being cast aside.

"I'm glad you told me Gray, but… my dreams…" I left the topic open, wanting his input on it. He smirked before resting his forehead against my own.

"Don't worry, it's normal for people to have dreams about other people. Especially if you _like_ them" he winked and I could feel a slight blush rise in my cheeks. _Damn it, you're a Dragon Slayer_ I thought, having no effect on the blush that was forming whatsoever.

"So… it's fine then?" I asked for confirmation. He nodded.

"Yeah. I don't find it bad, as long as you don't just… don't be an idiot like I was and try to fight 'em, okay?" he seemed genuine in his statement and I suddenly felt sorry for having put him through that.

I nodded as best as I could, even with his head still pressed to my own. "I will, now… are we going to eat?" I grinned as Gray chuckled.

"There's the Natsu I want to see. Yeah, it's just a little further on, I think you'll like the place I picked" he said. I grinned and motioned with one hand around his waist for him to let me up so we could leave. He seemed to take a moment in doing so, but as he got up I snatched a quick kiss on his cheek, making him laugh slightly at my eagerness, before we both set off. As we walked I found myself grinning wildly as I watched Gray beside me. _I'm a Dragon Slayer and yet… I giggle and blush when I'm around him. What the hell does he do to me?_

/

We walked in a comfortable quiet towards the restaurant. I had been eyeing Gray up as we walked, and as I realised he noticed my little glances he grinned. "Just returning the favor" I laughed as we rounded the corner to the place. "Is this it?" I asked. He nodded, suddenly hesitant in his movements.

"I hope it's okay" he muttered under his breath, obviously forgetting my Dragon Slayer hearing.

"It's great!" I commented, sliding just a little closer. He smirked at me before we entered the small restaurant.

Inside it was quiet, plain and comfortable, with a few tables and booths. Me and Gray walked up to the lady standing at the restaurant entrance. "I made a reservation earlier" Gray said to her with a smile. She looked down at the clip board she held before looking us both up and down.

"You're Gray Fullbuster?" she asked, her tone making it more of a statement of fact. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm here with Natsu Dragneel" he gestured to me. I did a little playful bow and smile towards the waitress. She nodded at us both.

"You've got the private room at the back, I'll take you there now" she said curtly, honest and straight to the point as all waitresses the world over. I smiled at Gray as he walked in step beside me, the waitress being the only thing we focused on following, everyone and everything else in the restaurant was of no concern to either of us. This was just about _us_ , after all.

The waitress directed us to a door and opened it to allow us to enter before her. As we did so she pulled out the chairs we placed ourselves at, placing menus at each seat. "I hope you enjoy your time with us" she said, voice sounding polite, however I could tell the robotic mechanics to the statement. We each took our seats and began skimming over the menus. As we did Gray looked over to the waitress.

"I believe I requested something to be held here until we arrived, is it here?" he asked her. Once more she checked her clipboard before nodding smartly.

"Shall I go fetch it for you, sir?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, and whilst you're getting it would you mind getting us some wine to drink, please" Gray asked. I listened to the conversation unfold, and after she nodded and ducked out momentarily I turned to look at Gray, smiling broadly at his side of the table.

"Wine?" I asked simply. It was something I had already considered before, however I didn't actually think Gray would order it as I felt he might think it was too 'obvious' or too 'girly', not that I personally cared.

Gray nodded to my statement. "Yes, wine. It's supposed to be a date after all" he said. I found myself smiling to match his, he had obviously had a similar idea as me, just was not as reserved as I had first thought. _Maybe I will like this_ I thought happily, whilst eyeing up the variety of steaks which were on the menu. The waitress returned after another few minutes, carrying the wine and two glasses in one arm, and a smaller sized box in the other. "Are these your items sir?" she asked politely, setting the wine on the table alongside the glasses. Gray nodded as she opened and poured the wine out into the drinking glasses for us. She offered Gray the box, however he smirked as he gestured over to me. "It's for him" he said. She nodded and apologised before turning to me. I looked at Gray for a split second, his eyes asking me to take it, so I did. Once that was done the waitress pulled out a notebook.

"May I take your orders? Or do you need some more time?" she asked. Gray looked at me.

"You ready?" he asked, rather unromantically. I nodded, unfazed by it.

"Yeah. Can I have the steak?" I asked the waitress. She nodded, scribbling it down, before turning to Gray once more.

"Err… I'll have the fish platter" he said after a moments deliberation. She took this down too before removing the menus.

"I will be right back with those, sirs" she said, disappearing off once again. Once we were alone Gray beamed at me.

"Gonna open it?" he asked. I was already looking down at the box, unsure of how to feel about this. I knew it was customary to be given some silly stuff on dates, however like the wine I never thought Gray would go for any of it. I found myself a little apprehensive, unsure of what Gray would do now that every guess I had made about this date had been wrong. _And why does my stomach feel all fluttery all of a sudden?_ I thought unsteadily. Gray took a sip of his wine, observing me as I looked intently at the box, trying to piece together what might be the contents. Eventually I could stand it no more and began to open the plain box, much to Gray's apprehension as I could smell it coming off him now, despite the cologne he was wearing.

/

"I'm going to open it now" I said, hands moving over the simple box lid. Gray nodded to me, sitting forward slightly in his chair. _He really is a little nervous_ I commented, before turning my attention to the contents of the box. I looked at him confusedly, before delving my hand in and pulling the contents out. Gray smiled at me as I held it up, a small, wooden, disc with an engraving on it. On one side it had a G and on the other the words KISS. "Err…" I mumbled, trying to work out what it was. Gray smirked as he leaned over the table to me, keeping a close, but cautious distance.

"I wanted to get you a little 'token' of my affection" he laughed. I smiled slightly, still not fully understanding what he was implying.

"Okaaaaay…" I said slowly, turning the wooden disc over and over again in my palm. Despite not really knowing what it was for I did feel as if it meant something, just because it came from Gray. Gray sat back in his chair, observing me over another sip of his wine.

"It's just a silly little gag gift, but I thought it might be amusing. It'll give you one free kiss at the end of the night, if you want to turn it in that is?" he sounded confident, but at the same time worried. I smiled at him, realisation hitting me that Gray was trying to see how I felt about him.

"I think it's great… sort of… cute maybe?" I said, laughing slightly as Gray put his glass down and shook his head.

"You don't need to keep it if you don't want to" he said, moving his hand out towards me, palm open. I shook my head and snatched the coin close to me.

"I would love to keep it, but does it really need to be turned in later, why not now?" I said, grinning as Gray pulled back in mild surprise at my antics.

"Oh… well…" he stammered. I smiled and stood up, moving to bend over right next to his chair. He looked at me momentarily lost for words, before he was shaken out of his daze by me kissing his cheek. Before he could do anything I sat back down as if nothing had happened. "That's not the free one" he said, smiling warmly, a very faint blush on his face, but clear to my Dragon Slayer eyes.

"Aw… that's cute Gray" I said chuckling, before taking a little swig of wine. Gray groaned.

"Please don't call me cute, I'm a Devil Slayer remember" he said, arm with the tattoo twitching slightly in emphasis. I snorted.

"Hey, I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer, and I don't mind being called cute… so long as it's by _you_ " I said. Gray blushed again and I had the sudden urge to pet him like some cute little puppy.

"O-okay…" he said. "Let's agree we can call each other cute, but only in private, alright? I don't want the guild to hear it, we might not hear the end of it if they did" he added quickly. I nodded.

"I think that wouldn't be their first concern" I said. Gray furrowed his brows for a moment before he got at what I was saying.

"Oh yeah… we said we wouldn't tell… yet" he stated. I nodded. "Okay, does that mean we're going to be careful around here?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't really mind, but since we are already in the back room I'd say we're good. But please… can we just not think about that yet I want to…" I stopped as Gray smiled and stretched his hand across the table. Without any conscious effort I took it.

"We'll just forget about anyone else for now and just focus on _us_ , right?" he sought confirmation, his dark eyes bright with… feelings?... no, something else. I could not describe it, no less fully understand it. Regardless I smiled. _Who cares about anything more than this right now?_ I thought before withdrawing my hand back to my place as the waitress re-entered.

/

After pleasant while and a good meal it was time for us to leave the restaurant. During the brief interludes between stuffing ourselves full of delicious courses me and Gray chatted about everything we could think of about our time away from the guild, only ever dipping into the reservoir of questions we both had about how each other had felt and for how long when we were out of anything else to talk about, otherwise it was pretty random the topics of conversation. I had talked about how I had eaten some weird mushrooms and spent nearly a whole day completely out of it, whilst Gray talked mostly about what it had been like with Juvia, trying desperately to avoid the topic of Avatar as much as possible. I wasn't too keen to hear about _that_ side of him either so I kept quiet about the questions I had. When they had brought the bill the manager, a cute but stern younger lady had come to express her adoration of our guild (and of Gray in particular, much to my annoyance) and offered us a deal to cut the price in half. We agreed, me much more reluctantly, and then we left, Gray paying for the meal despite me offering to pay. "No Natsu, I'm paying since I arranged all this" he had said, trying not to make it too obvious as to what _this_ was supposed to be in front of the manager. I sighed and let him pay before we both left the restaurant.

"You didn't have to do that" I said as he came out of the building, replacing his wallet in his trousers. He shook his head with a smile.

"As I said, _I_ arranged our… _date_ … so I pay" he responded. I smiled, unable to protest at him any longer. I looked to the left and right of the now empty and quite dark street, before leaning in towards Gray.

"Where to next then?" I asked, "Since this is _your_ idea" I chuckled. Gray slung an arm around my shoulder.

"Well, normally, I'd take you to your front door and let you do whatever you want from there, buuuut…" he stopped for a moment, and I jumped in without thinking.

"Can we stay together for a bit longer?" I said, voice uncharacteristically whining and pleading. Gray chuckled.

"If you let me finish I was going to suggest we take a little _stroll_ " he emphasized the word carefully. I nodded.

"Sounds good, anywhere particular?" I said. I had been very eager, much to my own surprise more than Gray's, as the very thought of leaving him now made me feel all funny in my chest. Once more I was left questioning why this was happening as I felt Gray directing me slowly along the streets.

"I was thinking, maybe, that I could keep it a secret until we get there" he said, "But since you know Magnolia so well you'll probably figure it out" he amended. I wrapped an arm around his waist as we walked.

"It doesn't matter, let's see if I figure it out" I said with a bright grin.

"Sure, never know, maybe you won't, flame brain" Gray said, tone not so much mocking as… kind, I thought. I tickled him lightly in the side my arm had wrapped around to, smiling contently.

"Maybe I will just go home if you continue calling me that" I teased. He laughed as we continued walking, turning through the empty streets, the stars above our only witness so far.

After a little while I realised that I had been getting closer and closer to Gray, going from simply wrapping an arm around his waist-stomach area to now resting my head on his shoulder. Gray hadn't complained, however I realised that if anyone saw us it would be pretty obvious what we were up to so I moved a little further away again. _Seriously, I need to keep it together, I don't want us to get caught and then Gray go running off… I like him too much to just have him leave me like that_ I thought to myself as Gray hummed quietly to himself. "Er… Gray, what are you humming?" I asked, just trying to distract from the movement I had just done. He looked at me with intent and a little flicker of mischief.

"Just a little tune I heard today when I was in the market" he replied casually. I nodded.

"Okay" I said, trying to formulate a new thought carefully "Can I ask you something?" I said quietly. Gray cocked his head slightly, as if to ask me to continue. I found it a little cute but I really felt like I wanted to ask him what I was going to, so I tried to ignore it and look ahead instead. "Um… I was going to ask you when… when can I use this?" I spoke cautiously, dipping my hand into my pocket to bring out the little wooden disc he had given me. He chuckled and I felt his arm slide down from my shoulders to my waist, just as I was doing to him. When it reached my waist I looked down to see him hold his palm out flat, wanting me to give him the disc. Reluctantly I gave him it, only for him to turn it over a few times and offer it back, which I quickly did, returning it to the safety of my pocket. We stopped and Gray looked straight at me, I felt my gaze drop down lower just to avoid the direct eye contact. He muttered something I didn't hear properly, before I felt his other hand on my chin, pushing it up so I could see his beautiful eyes. "Are you really desperate to kiss me?" he asked quietly. I didn't respond, or more accurately did not know _how_ to respond, causing Gray to smirk knowingly. "If you just wait a little longer we'll reach where I want to go, think you can do that?" I nodded, "Good, _then_ you can use it if you want to Natsu". I nodded again, I could feel my chest suddenly swell with some unknown feeling as Gray had looked so intently at me. _There it is again, what is it he does to make me like that? This burning heat, that fluttery feeling…_ I was confused as Gray began moving again, his arm at my waist propelling me on with him. He had increased his pace ever so slightly, obviously a little more interested in getting to where he wanted soon. _Maybe I should tell him I feel weird… it might have been the food and I don't want_ that _to ruin this_ I thought hurriedly as we rounded the last corner and I realised where we were headed. _There? Why there?_

"Here it is Natsu" Gray stated, smiling at me. I looked out at the scene before us. The river where me and Gray often fought as children flowed in a quiet bubbling, its semi-still waters mirroring the night's tapestry of stars, illuminated bright by the moon. I had come here often to battle, however never had I felt like I do now, watching Gray leave my side to pick his way out to a specific spot near the bank, smiling brighter than the moon above as he gestured for me to sit next to him at the riverside. "Come on flame brain" he called out. I bounded over to him, smiling broadly.

"I thought I told you not to call me that" I stated. He smiled before he shuffled close enough to me that we were shoulder to shoulder.

"Yeah, you did, but I figured if you were ever going to leave it would have been before the restaurant, and not now" he said. I laughed.

"You're wrong there, Ice Princess, I would never have turned down free food. I would have left you right _after_ the restaurant" I giggled, causing Gray to cock his head and send me a look that was both a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"Whatever, I just wanted to show you this place as it is now" he said, gesturing around. I followed the sweep of the area with my head, taking it all in.

"I never knew it would be so beautiful" I breathed approvingly. Gray smirked.

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I came here as a kid. It's my favorite place to go at night" he said. I nodded, my hand sliding down to my pocket discreetly.

"I can see why" I commented. Gray nodded before looking down.

"Getting that little _token_ out again?" he said, I nodded guiltily, realising I wasn't very good at being discreet. Gray laughed amusingly.

"Just wait a moment, will ya, I want to get something" he said, before standing up. I almost got up too, but he stopped me with his hand on my head.

"Sit Natsu" he said, tone commanding as if I was some kind of dog. I pouted for a few moments as he walked over to a rock I had never noticed before. I cocked my head and he smiled at me, before picking up the rock to reveal it was hollow.

"Did you…?" I left it open ended for him to finish.

"Put it there? Yes, I've been a little busy today" he said. I shook my head with a laugh.

"Maybe, but you're still not letting me do what _I_ want to, are you?" I said. He shook his head too, sitting down beside me once more, pulling something out of the rock.

"Just… I wanted to give _these_ to you, I know it's a little silly but… it's a date and well…" he stopped talking as he took the other gift from the fake rock and gave it to me. The gift in question was a small bouquet of pleasant looking red-orange flowers.

"Flowers?" I said surprised. Gray nodded.

"I said this before at the restaurant but… I really like you Natsu and I wanted to show you how much" he said.

"So you gave me flowers?" I said, tone asking for confirmation, the bouquet now in my lap. Gray nodded, I could hear his heartbeat, and could smell his uncertainty. It made me feel happy to see him care so much about how I felt.

"I… just…" he stammered now, none of the confidence that had been in his voice just a little while earlier. I looked at him intently, as he had done to me, before bringing a hand up to his face and smiling warmly as I spoke softly.

"They're great, just like you" I said. He nodded and I could tell the relief he was feeling.

"They're fire lilies" he stated as I returned my gaze to the flowers, "I picked them because well… I was told lilies can be a symbol of promises and… relationships" he said the word carefully, "And the 'fire' because of their colour… kind of reminds me of you and your hair" he added. I breathed in, my chest thumping heavily. _Relationship…_ The word made that feeling I had been having intensify a hundred times.

"Gray…" I breathed, my voice hitched. The dark haired wizard looked away, eyes sweeping over the water. I placed the flowers down to the side as I drew closer to him, my hand delving into my pocket. "I… that's…" I couldn't speak as I pulled out the disc. Gray took in my slightly desperate moves and smiled, he held out his hand for me to clasp, our fingers intertwining as I pushed the disc of wood between our two palms. As soon as I had done that Gray leaned in and I reacted by tilting my head slightly. Our kiss was loving and warm, the butterflies that filled my stomach an oddly comforting feeling. _Finally, … I get to kiss him like I always wanted_ I thought happily. Gray smiled into the kiss

/

We pulled way after a few minutes and then I saw that Gray's eyes glittered beautifully. I could feel my heart beat in my chest as I realised how good he _really_ looked, here along the river side, his hair reflecting the colour of the darkened waters perfectly. "That was perfect" he smiled, "I hoped you'd still want to kiss me after I gave you those but I was afraid you'd feel a bit… I don't know, pressured?" he sounded uncertain. I held his cheek in my hand.

"It _was_ perfect" I reiterated, "This whole date was perfect". Gray blushed slightly as I spoke, mirroring the slight blush I could feel rising in my own cheeks.

"Natsu… you don't have to… say it. But I wanted you to know my feelings and well now… you do" Gray said, he seemed a little uncomfortable, or worried.

"Gray, I like you a lot too, if I'm honest I have for a while. I would be lying if I said I had thought about _us_ " I said. Gray looked at me with mild astonishment.

"You always thought like that then, like… about us going on a date?" Gray asked. I nodded, my gaze slightly averted from his. I could hear him chuckle. "That's actually… pretty funny. I thought I might have been the only one… I never thought you'd think like that too" he said after a moment. I pouted.

"So what if I did. At least… I mean…" I was at a loss for words and when I looked back at Gray his eyes danced and glittered with amusement. I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking quickly about how I could change the topic. Eventually I found the words I wanted. "I mean at least I never thought _you'd_ know so much about _flowers_ " I commented, tone a little sarcastic. Gray rubbed the back of his head, he swiveled so we were sitting cross legged in front of each other.

"Yeah… about that… when I said I'd _heard_ about lilies and all that stuff what I really should have said was 'The girl in the flower shop told me that…'. I don't really know anything about flowers other than which ones smell good, or which ones I like the look of" Gray admitted, a sheepish smirk on his face. I tried to maintain a pout for him acting so cocky before when he gave me the flowers, however it failed almost immediately and I was laughing quite hard as Gray blushed deeper.

"Awww Gray… that's cuuuuuute" I laughed. He scowled at me.

"D-don't laugh… flame brain" he said, head turning to the side in a huffy sort of way. I cocked my head and tried to subdue my laughter a bit, there was one last thing I wanted to ask him… but I wanted to put it off for a little while yet.

"Come on Graaaaay" I said, tone sounding apologetic, "I was just teasing. I really do like them, and I think it's great you put so much effort into all this. The restaurant, the _token_ , the flowers… they were all so great that I wanted to show _you_ how much I liked them" Gray turned back to me, a slight furrowing of his brows to show his confusion. I grinned as I pounced forward, capturing his lips before he had the time to react.

Our kiss this time was a little less momentous; a lot sloppier, with teeth clacking slightly due to the surprise nature of my attack. When I pulled away I sat forward, hands remaining on Gray's knees. "Natsu, that was not funny… but thanks for telling me how you feel too. I was just a little worried that you'd think it was going too serious" Gray said breathlessly. I nodded.

"Good to see you a little more relaxed now" I said, before kissing him on the cheek. "I think now is a good time to discuss something though…" I whispered in his ear. Gray cocked his head to the side once more as I pulled back.

"Err…" he fumbled about for a moment mentally, before he picked up my train of thought. "Oh… you mean about us being boyfriends, right?" he said. I nodded. "Well I want to but…" he looked at me. I smiled before turning to face him from the side, laying back to look up at the stars. When I looked over to Gray he was still looking intently at me.

"Join me here, please" I asked him politely; I wanted to have nothing and no one around us but him and me and the stars above in the night sky. Gray lay down on the grass next to me as I reached out with my arm to bring the fire lily bouquet to my chest. "I want to be your boyfriend Gray" I said calmly as I felt him shift slightly beside me.

"But aren't you worried about other people?" Gray asked. I turned my head and smiled at him.

"I don't, because I felt like this about you for so long now that I honestly can't picture anything but being with you. Even if everyone hates me… even if you rejected me I had accepted that it was only you I could be with" I said bluntly. I could see Gray's vision turn inwards for a moment.

"Natsu…" he breathed, "When… when I found you in that bed, with that damned witch… I thought I'd lost you forever and… well, I thought that if you died I'd have no one else either. You were the only one for me" Gray admitted. I rolled onto my side to look straight at him, and Gray did the same. When I looked at him as he was now I could only think of how much I wanted to be with him. And how much I wanted _him_ to be with me.

"So we… both feel the same then?" I asked a little unsurely. Gray nodded.

"Looks like it. So… I guess there's only one thing I want to ask you then" he said.

"What's that?" I asked, with a slight smile.

"Natsu Dragneel; Will you be my boyfriend?" I nodded.

"Sure, so long as you'll be mine" I replied, laughing slightly. Gray laughed too.

"Obviously, pink haired idiot"

"Hey, don't call me that, you pervy popsicle"

"Don't speak to your boyfriend like that, pinkie" Gray said. I laughed harder, soon we sat up, checking the time to find it was nearly past 12. "Looks like it's going to turn over to a new day soon" Gray stated.

"Yeah. Can you walk me back to my house?" I asked, "I just… want you to" Gray nodded, both of us wore ridiculous smiles on our faces.

"Of course, a date isn't over if I don't walk you to your door" Gray replied, standing up before offering me a hand up. I took it, not really needing it, and then we walked back to my house in the woods.

Neither of us spoke on the way back, bot preoccupied with our thoughts. _Did we really just become boyfriends?_ I thought quietly, giving a sideways glance to Gray as I thought so. _I always wanted to kiss him and… stuff… but I never thought about us really becoming a couple_.

When my ragged little house came into view I saw Gray's face slacken a bit. _Obviously he doesn't want this to end either_ I observed. "Well… here it is" I stated, pointing. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, here it is" he said with a smile. "Guess I'll have to leave it here. But before I leave can I ask you one thing?" I nodded. "Do you want to go on another date some time?". I pretended to give it some thought before I burst out.

"Of course I want to, I mean, we are boyfriends now so we probably _shouuuuld_ " I said excitedly. Gray chuckled before drawing close to me.

"Good. Just checking. Now…" he leaned in, "To finish our current date one last thing" He leant down and we kissed briefly. "A good night kiss". I smiled broader as I stood there, with his arms around me and my arms around him.

"Yeah, that was great. How about next time I take you out?" I said, reluctant to part this glorious company yet. Gray nodded curtly.

"That's fine with me" he said. We stood for a moment before I finally decided to break away, kissing Gray's cheek one last time.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow at the guild" I said, before going straight up to my door and stopping to look back and catch one last glimpse of Gray. He winked at me before motioning to leave himself.

Waving he called out to me. "See you tomorrow, _boyfriend_ " he chuckled, before heading back down the path to Magnolia town and his own apartment. I smiled and gave a near silent response.

"See you tomorrow too, Gray" I whispered, entering the darkness of my own home with a mind both full of questions, and brimming with happiness. _That's right. He really is my boyfriend, and he willingly says it too_ I thought contentedly, before going to bed. I wanted to see what kind of enjoyable dream awaited me with Gray in it. _And I'm not going to fight it… because he's my boyfriend and I can do whatever I want in my own dreams_ I added, tucking myself into the comfort of my own bed.

/

 **General POV**

Walter grinned as he watched the two 'boyfriends' part ways, heading back discreetly in the woods towards Magnolia.

"Yep, I knew they'd go through with it. Those two are as predictable as any other human" he said aloud, Blake emerging out of the shadows of the trees. He took the borrowed light pen and wrote in the air.

YOU REALLY CHOSE TO FOLLOW THEM THIS WHOLE TIME?

He wrote. Walter nodded. "I just wanted to _observe_ them. I was pretty sure those idiots would further their relationship, however I needed to be sure. We can't have our bait tainted before its caught the intended animal" he said flatly. Blake nodded.

YES. JUST REMEMBER THAT'S ALL THEY ARE TO US. BAIT. WE MAY LIKE THE FAIRY TAIL GUILD, THEY ARE AN AMUSING BUNCH AND I'M NOT COMPLETELY AGAINST HANGING AROUND LIKE CYRUS IS HOWEVER… DON'T FORGET OUR MISSION. BROTHER.

Blake wrote in the air. Walter nodded once more, crossin his arms. "Of course I won't. I can't ever forget, just like you and Digit can't forget that we were human once too. Before that man…" he stopped, dark thoughts broiling in his mind. Blake shook his head.

YOU CALLED HIM BROTHER ONCE

"Not any more. Not now and not ever more" Walter said. Blake shrugged.

YOU CAN DENY YOUR THOUGHTS TO ME AND DIGIT, BUT NOT TO YOURSELF.  
DO NOT FORGET OUR MISSION…  
OR OUR PAST

"I… won't"

NOW, LET'S GO. IT'S CREEPY ENOUGH THAT YOU STALKED THEM FOR THE LAST FEW HOURS. LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR THE NEXT FEW

Blake wrote, before vanishing in the darkness. Once Walter was sure he was alone he sighed loudly. "Guess it's undeniable that I really do just want to see those two happy. But… oh fuck it… I will have to feed them to the wolves eventually and when that happens I guess that I will well and truly given up my humanity" he said aloud. Smiling as he activated his swift to return to the place they were staying a single thought passed through his mind. _I wonder what you would have thought about this… Function?_

And in a blur of motion he was gone too, that single thought filling him with nostalgic dread.

 **Chapter 9 End**

 **Next Chapter; Meeting**


	10. Chapter 10 - Meeting

**Quick Note; I'm sorry this took so long, last week was pretty hectic. I hope you all like it :)**

 **Chapter 10 – Meeting**

 **Gray POV**

It had been nearly a week since me and Natsu had our date. The very next morning I had awoke at quite an early time, only to find I couldn't get back to sleep; I was still excited that we had agreed to be boyfriends. As the day wore on, however, me and Natsu found it very difficult to have any time together that wasn't us arguing. This was mainly, or mostly, just an act to stop people from noticing any change in our behavior, however some of the time Natsu was just too much of an idiot _not_ to piss me off. What made matters worse was that I had forgotten about my promise to Lucy, so I had to spend the next two days on a job with her instead of Natsu, much to the pinkette's dismay. _Stupid Lucy…_

On returning I found out from Mira that Natsu had went on a job and when I asked her when he'd be back she said it would take about three days, two days travelling and one day at the town where the client lived. I had sighed and wandered off to my apartment, where I now spent my time today as well. In total me and Natsu had spent next to no time together despite our new relationship status and that made me feel… deflated, or maybe annoyed.

Today, just like yesterday, I sat on my apartment sofa, staring at the town through the largest window as I lost myself to thought. It was only supposed to be another few hours before Natsu returned and I really just wanted to spend some time together with him, preferably alone. "What should I do? He was the one who was supposed to plan the next date, we agreed on that. So I probably shouldn't try to surprise him with one, he might get a bit annoyed" I said aloud, nothing but the cold walls to hear me. I sighed once more. Boredom ate away at me and by 12PM I _needed_ to do something.

"Natsu wouldn't be back for another couple of hours so… I think I'll go do some training in peace and quiet in the woods. There's no point moping around here every time he's not around" I resolved, getting my shirt, which had, at some point I do not know when, been discarded at the intersection between my general living space and the front door. Once that was on my upper body I unlocked my door and exited my apartment.

As I walked through the town I felt a sudden relaxation overcome my body as I realised that, despite everything being the same, everything, or at least mostly everything, that I worried about had changed. _I've finally got Natsu, and the guild's back together, and I can go on jobs and do what I want without having to worry about any other problems._ I thought happily as I strolled through the brightly lit streets. My apartment wasn't far from the guild, and I could have stopped off there to see if anything interesting was going on, however I felt more like heading west, out towards the woodland hills that fringed Magnolia town on most sides. The streets were busy as usual, full of people who had come to the market, or even a few magic enthusiasts who had come to see the 'real' Fairy Tail. Since the Grand Magic Games had begun all those years ago, wizard guilds across Fiore had to deal with a new problem that had never really been seen beforehand. The problem of fans. Every day there would be one crowd of screaming girls, and one of annoying younger boys, all gathering in the streets around their favorite wizard guilds just to see their 'hero', much to the annoyance of wizards everywhere. Right now I did not want to have to deal with _any_ annoying brats that had come to see me, so I avoided every major street that even loosely led towards the guild. "I wonder how Natsu would feel if there was any of those fangirls trying anything on me. I mean… I would feel kinda jealous, but I wouldn't do anything just in case people realise what's going on" I said in a whispered tone to myself. Images of an equally as jealous Natsu filled my head, rampaging through the crowd to save me from my fans popped into my head. I had to suppress a chuckle at both how sweet and how cute Natsu would look doing that; on top of his usual awesomeness, of course.

After a little bit of quiet walking I eventually reached the forest, heading deeper within I found the clearing I often trained at. I knew Natsu would train here too from time to time, the scorch marks on trees, indented boughs, and broken branches all signs of his physical training regimen. I used to come here to watch him sometimes, hopefully in secret, however if he ever did find me, which was not an overly rare occurrence thanks to his sense of smell, I used to just pass it off that I was training too. He would often let me off the hook and we would often end up brawling it out as a form of practice fighting instead of arguing about it, however thinking about it now as I let my magic flow to my fingertips I wondered if Natsu had only let me off because of his feelings; he had admitted he'd had them for a while after all. _There's a few things I need to ask him_ I thought as I allowed my magic to cause an icy mist to rise around me. "Ice Make…" I began, stopping as I suddenly drew a blank at what to create. This was rare for me, but not unheard of, especially when I was training or distracted. The spell fizzled and I had to take a deep breath to steady myself; the thoughts about Natsu had put me off so I decided to set them aside for the time being. Once more I tried again, "Ice Make; Dummy" I commanded, ice instantly flowing forth to form a training dummy. This was a spell I used often, mostly just as target practice, although from time to time I had conjured them in order to compete with Natsu in a variety of ways, including seeing who could destroy the most the quickest. I conjured up a few more dummies, so that a total of six stood motionless against me. Once that was done I focused my mind a lot more; the next spell I wanted to use needed some work to make sure it could be focused onto a single enemy rather than a large area.

After a moment I focused my power to my Devil Slayer magic, tattoo on my arm throbbing with a reassuring burst of energy in response. It took a little time, I only wanted to destroy one dummy, not all of them like it would normally. The purple ice exploded forth as I flicked my wrist out, destroying four of the dummies and freezing a good amount of foliage behind. "Damn it!" I cursed, "Looks like I still need some practice". I sighed as I allowed the ice to retract again, observing the damage I had done to the forest; it wasn't that bad, only a few broken trees and maybe a bush or two… and some insects… and the ground was all cracked… and a small amount of tiny rabbits were frozen, they were alive, but dazed. Once the ice disappeared the rabbits bounded off, their home destroyed. "I really need to be careful using that around here" I noted aloud. As a little confidence boost I also noted that nothing had really been totally destroyed, and I hadn't damaged all of the dummies. "Right… now let's try something that won't completely piss me off" I said to no one in particular, assuming my Ice Make stance, "Ice Make; Lance" I said, as tendrils of ice shot forth, hitting and destroying one of the two remaining dummies. After that I smirked, no matter how badly I failed with other magic's it always reassured me to know I had my trusty Ice Maker magic to fall back on. "One more time then, Ice Ma-" I said, stopping as a crackling sound, followed by a bright flash of lightning whizzed past my shoulder. In an instant the other ice dummy was reduced to a smoldering scorch mark on the floor. "What the fuck was that?!" I exclaimed suddenly, turning to see where the strike had come from. Since it was lightning magic I had assumed it was probably Laxus, or maybe Erza in her Lightning Empress armor, however I was even more intrigued by the figure standing on the branch of a tree directly behind me.

"Ahoy Graaaaaay" Walter said, grinning. The Requip mage was wearing a dark blue suit, with white shirt and matching dark blue trousers and waistcoat, however he also wore bright yellow gloves, that had a silver lightning bolt pattern around each finger. "Did I _scare_ you?" he mocked. I snorted derisively.

"Not so much scared as nearly fucking killed, you trigger happy maniac" I retorted. Walter shrugged and then shook his head.

"I wasn't aiming for you _per say_ … but it was interesting to see how close I could get the lightning to go without hitting you and still destroy your little figure" Walter explained with an amused tone. I walked over to the tree he was standing in and hit it hard, shaking it somewhat. In a blur of motion Walter was standing behind me, tapping my shoulder. "That wasn't very nice. I just wanted to see how you were doing since you haven't been around the guild very much recently" the dark haired wizard said. "Plus…" he cocked his head slightly, "I wanted to know how you got on with _Natsuuuuu"_ he stressed the fire mages name annoyingly. I wanted to hit him so badly, but found I couldn't. Despite his short time at Fairy Tail he had accustomed himself well, and now it felt like he too was part of the family.

I sighed and went to sit down at the very tree I had just tried to knock the Requip mage out of. Walter stood looking at me, eyes dancing with inner laughter; clearly he liked winning what he wanted, especially, it would seem, if that was some private information. "Natsu and me are together… sort of" I said to Walter, watching his reaction carefully. He nodded, motioning for me to go on. "We had a date, it was nice, we kissed, I walked him back to his house, and then we agreed to be boyfriends" I added. Walter clapped his hands briefly.

"Good for you. Just what you wanted, eh?" he said enthusiastically. I smiled slightly, seeing Walter happy for me made me feel a little happier in myself too.

"I suppose, it's just…" I stopped. Walter cocked his head, before taking a step closer to me.

"What's the matter?" he asked, I looked up at him, but before I could speak he laughed. "Oh, I get it… you've just agreed to be boyfriends and then you get to spend no time together. Am I right?" he analysed. I frowned momentarily. _Damn it, he can read people so easily. Is there no privacy around this guy?_ I thought.

"Yeah… of course that's my problem. I mean… I really like Natsu, but it really sucks that we can't be a couple together all the time, I've got to hide my feelings in the guild, act like nothing's changed…" I said. Walter nodded, a small flash of light as he requipped to plain, dark blue gloves.

"I get it. But… don't you want to tell Natsu this, I know he's an idiot… totally clueless, but I also bet that if he knew you felt this way then he'd leap at the chance to make it up to you" Walter said casually, before striding out a little way away from me. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"You're right Walter, I should tell Natsu, but… I just need to think right now. I was training to take my mind off of it, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll talk to Natsu when he gets back" I resolved. Walter nodded once more, arms folded.

"That's the spirit, Devil Boy. Now… as for your training, how about we spar a little? I want to fight something and you need some practice with that purple ice" Walter said. I got up and went to stand facing off against him. The brunette grinned as I smirked at him.

"Just because you've helped me a bit doesn't mean I will go easy on ya" I stated. Walter bowed and laughed amusedly.

"Did you forget that even Erza couldn't beat me? And that was when I was using a fraction of my power" Walter boasted. I shrugged.

"I could beat you if I _really_ wanted to" I retorted calmly, although I noted that he was indeed a strong opponent. _But is he as strong, or as fierce, as Natsu?_

"Come at me then, oh high and mighty Devil Slayer" Walter taunted, body getting into a fighting stance. I laughed, before throwing out a few ice attacks; I wasn't going to let him get away with calling me that, even if he had helped me yet again.

/

We sparred for a while, each being unable to gain the upper hand on the other. "Ice Make; Lance" I commanded, sending icy spikes forth to strike at Walter, who was pinned against a tree. He grinned wickedly, the deep blue gloves he had requipped to earlier glowed faintly, an icy aura around them. "I've told you this a thousand times" he said as he dodged the attack, "My Lord of the Ocean Gauntlets prevent any water based attack from besting me. That includes your ice". I swung an arm out, sending devil ice forth to attempt to freeze the dark haired wizard. He shook his head, clicking his fingers to spew forth a torrent of scolding water that blocked the ice with ease. "That's pathetic, I thought demons were strong" Walter commented. "But now I'm not so sure. I think it's time to end this".

"Yeah, and I'll be the winner" I stated, breathing a little raggedly from the exercise; Walter really was a difficult opponent to get the upper hand on, no wonder he could hold his own against Erza.

Walter tutted, wiggling his finger at me. "Don't tell lies, everyone knows I'll be victorious" Walter boasted. I pouted and assumed another fighting stance, ready to block and counter whatever he threw at me. Walter shrugged and glowed brightly. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Requip" he said, whole suit changing this time. It was the first time I had seen him do it, and it surprised me, throwing me off guard a little as he emerged from the spell wearing a jet black suit with metallic black epaulettes and metal gauntlets. "This you should be familiar with, it's my Jet Black Armor, it holds the same properties as the Black Wing Armor, one Miss Scarlet uses, but with a hell of a lot more style" he grinned as he raised his arms, weapons appearing in each protected hand. "And these are the Heart Seeker Guns. I think you can guess what their power is" he added, eyes narrowing down the twin barrels of his newly formed black guns, each with a heart and arrow symbol apparent on their handles. "I'll win now I think" he said as he fired off a shot from each weapon.

"Not yet, Ice Make; Shield" I commanded, wall of ice forming to protect me.

"I think so" Walter said, now behind me with one gun pressed to my back. I sighed and held my hands up.

"So you really are a pain in the ass, but at least you're a good fighter" I said, feeling Walter's gun pressed against my back. Walter chuckled.

"Now you're telling the truth. I _am_ a good fighter, and I am _also_ a better mage than you" he said, removing his weapons and allowing them to be sent back to where they came from, "Don't get me wrong though, you're powerful, it's just I've had a lot of practice in one on one fighting and also my Swift magic coupled with my Requip is just too well played together" Walter added as I turned to see him grinning, still wearing his black suit.

"You're fucking cocky, you know that. Too cocky" I commented, moving to rest against a nearby tree. Although I didn't want to admit it I had expected I'd lose against him, although it was some pretty good training. Walter bowed.

"You're too kind. Now… I had a reason for coming here earlier, and I do apologise for delaying, however I had a message to give you" I gave him a questioning glance, he seemed serious so I let him continue. "There's going to be some big meeting tomorrow between a couple of the guilds. Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale will all be there. Before you ask, I called it to discuss the very matter I came to Fairy Tail. I hope the other guilds will help out so we can deal with the other targets me and the Triplet Code were sent here to get rid of and then we can be out of your guild" Walter explained. I nodded.

"Okay, that makes sense, but why did you want to tell me that?" I asked, confused.

Walter smirked. "Two reasons. One; your guild is the host for this little meeting, and also you and a few others are the only ones privileged with the reasons for us being here. And two; You, Natsu, Erza, Laxus and Lucy will be going on a little trip with me in the not-too-far future. That clear things up?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. What sort of trip though?" I asked. Walter laughed.

"If I tell you that now it wouldn't be a surprise" he said, before checking his watch, "Oh… its getting a little late for what I had planned later, guess I gotta leave ya here then… and is that… oooooh… I think you've got a special someone waiting for you" Walter said, tapping the side of his nose. I cocked my head, but before I could ask 'who' he bowed out. "See ya later" he said, vanishing in a blur of movement.

"What the-?!" I said, startled by his disappearance. "Damn him, guess he meant Natsu though… I better get a shower and head to the guild then" I decided, glancing briefly at the area me and Walter had fought in. There were a few bullet holes here and there, and a little bit of damage from my ice (besides that caused by my earlier training) but it was otherwise fine. I figured it'd be okay so I left it and headed back to my apartment in Magnolia, my thoughts pondering who Walter had meant was waiting for me, as well as a few thoughts about what I had agreed with him. _I gotta tell Natsu that I want to spend time with him… and that I want to go a bit further with him, maybe…_

As I neared my apartment I stopped in my tracks. Sitting with their back against my front door, smiling warmly at me was the very mage I had been thinking so intently about. Natsu chuckled a little as I approached once more, pink hair sticking out at angles, framing that perfect, adorable face. "Hey Gray" he greeted cheerfully. _So it was Natsu_ I thought as I smiled back,

"Hey Natsu, you're back" I greeted him, equally as happy. _Let's just hope he stays this happy when I tell him what I agreed to…_ I thought hopefully.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I saw, or more accurately smelled, Gray approaching. My nose twitched at the scent, easily detected despite all the others smells around me. I lifted my head up from where it had been resting against his door as I felt him get closer. Once he was within sight I smiled, happy to see him despite only being away for a very short time. _What is wrong, I've spent much longer than a couple of days away from him before, how come I always wanted to see him when I was away?_ I thought as the raven haired Ice mage shot me a smile. "Hey Gray" I called out to greet him, voice as happy as ever.

"Hey Natsu, you're back" Gray replied, moving up towards me. I stood up to greet him, folding my arms and chuckling as he came up close to me.

"I know I am" I stated, in response to his own statement of the obvious. Gray shook his head, as if to shrug off my comment. Once he was within arm's reach he stopped and rubbed the back of his head, somewhat apologetically.

"Oh yeah… sorry but I was training, didn't think you'd be back yet. Were you waiting long?" Gray said, a little embarrassment in his tone. _That's so cute_ I thought, grinning. An idea popped into my head to see just _how_ apologetic he could be. I nodded at Gray, as if to say it was no problem, and he laughed a little as he shuffled a little closer to me. Taking his new position to my advantage I raised my arm, which, judging from his expression, Gray seemed to think was to pull him into a kiss. I let him think this as my outstretched hand reach up to him, and hit him lightly on the side of the head. "Oi… what was that for?" Gray exclaimed. I grinned wickedly.

"For being an idiot and making me wait. I hate waiting" I replied matter-of-factly, grinning wider as Gray melted from a look of shocked surprise. Gray sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"I really am sorry Natsu… I wanted to wait for you when you got to the guild… but it was so boring without you and well…" his shoulders slumped even more as he sighed.

"I missed you too" I said cheerily. Gray looked up, our eyes meeting. His expression told me he was checking to see if I was serious so I decided to do the only thing I could think of. I pulled him into a short, sweet kiss. As I pulled him away from me I could tell he was relieved, relieved and happy. "Do you want me to wait at the guild? Or…" My eyes gestured to the door behind me. Gray shook his head and fumbled around to produce his keys.

"I don't want to make you wait any longer…" he said, moving to be near to the lock. I smiled, inner self humming contentedly; this wasn't the first time I'd have been to Gray's apartment, however it still felt oddly special to go in there now, given our new relationship. He unlocked the door and then gestured for me to precede him in entering.

/

Once we were inside Gray relocked the door quickly, before placing the keys on a table beside the door. I wandered a little into his apartment, scenting everything around me a little more carefully than I had in previous visits. I could hear Gray move behind me, and soon I felt his chest pressed to my back, his head resting on my shoulder. "I really did miss you, you know" he said candidly. I turned my head slightly to see his raven hair resting beside my face.

"You should, I'm great" I said cockily. I could feel Gray sigh into my shoulder.

"Shut up, flame brain" he groaned, moving away a little so I could turn and face him. I sent him a cocky grin, before he kissed me lightly. "I was just training so I wanted to take a shower before coming to see you, but…" he stopped.

I cocked my head. "So what, take one now, I don't mind. I'll just wait here" I said, confused as to what was tripping Gray up; this wasn't the first time he'd left me alone in his apartment whilst he'd went to shower. Gray nodded.

"Alright, as long as you don't mind… I just felt like we should do something since we… since we haven't spent much time together" Gray said, eyes looking downwards. I smiled, realising that he must have been feeling like this whilst I was away and immediately I regret leaving him to go on that job with Happy, Wendy and Carla. I reached out once more and Gray leapt back a pace.

I laughed at his reaction. "I wasn't going to hit you this time Gray, I was just going to tell you to stop being so stupid… I get that we haven't been together much since… well since out date… and I guess you've thought about this too since I've been away on that three-day job" I said. Gray looked at me skeptically.

"Too? Were you thinking about it?" Gray inquired. I blushed and nodded abruptly.

"Well… kinda… Walter sort of asked how it was going with you and then he… _mentioned_ something about not seeing us together besides when we were arguing in the guild" I stated. Gray narrowed his eyes at me. "What's wrong?"

"When I was training Walter came to see me too. He asked me the same thing, little bastard… he knew how I felt" Gray said, voice flat. I chuckled.

"He's been playing us both then" I said, I admit there was a little anger in me, but also a little gratitude at knowing he was looking out for us; he had set us up after all.

Gray laughed and shrugged. "I guess… I'll take a quick shower and then how about we go get something to eat, not a date or anything, just… lunch?" he said. I nodded.

"I like lunch, although it's a little late" I replied.

"Fine, call it supper if you want. Whilst were out why don't we discuss something we can do to show our _appreciation_ for all Walter's help" Gray said. I nodded.

"Sounds great, we need to get him back for this" I replied, grinning evilly as Gray wandered off to take a shower. Once he was gone I jumped down onto his sofa, taking in the delicious scent of Gray around me. _I really just want to stay with Gray here, but eating with him again, even supper, would be really nice too…_ I thought as I allowed my mind to jumped to a few more _interesting_ images of Gray in the shower. _I wonder if he'd let me join him_? I thought, grinning at the prospect.

The thought was both incredibly tantalizing and also very difficult to remove.

/

 **Blake POV, later that night**

I ran from roof top to roof top, the shadows of the darkened night around me as my cloak. I headed towards the east side of Magnolia, towards the agreed meeting point. I reached the border of the town quickly, a few minutes early for the other member had not joined us yet. Cyrus joined me after another minute.

"Factor, we're two minutes and thirty-seven seconds early" he pointed out, replacing his pocket watch into his suit jacket pocket. I signed him out a quick apology, it had been my choice to taken the more scenic roof path. "Just make sure we arrive on time. This meeting between the guilds needs to go perfectly if we want our own plans to succeed" Cyrus added. I nodded as I heard a noise coming up the path.

"I _know_ Rogue, but they're supposedly from the council… I can't go pissing them off by refusing, can I?" A voice said, whiney. Not long after the blond it belonged to appeared. Cyrus and me faced him, and his companion behind. "Oh… are you…?" Sting Eucliffe asked us, finger moving between us, asking us to confirm our identities.

We both bowed. "Yes, Master Eucliffe. I am Cyrus, and this is Blake, we are two of the Triplet Code. We were sent to escort you to your hotel for this evening, and on the way we will explain why it is we called you, in brief. The full details will be given tomorrow" Cyrus said.

I gave another curt nod. Sting looked to each of us for a moment before nodding. "Alright, maybe you can explain why it is I'm here?" he said. Rogue remained quiet, observing us both carefully. If Walter had been here this may have been a friendlier encounter, however Cyrus was incapable of such an act. He was just too stone faced and formal.

Cyrus nodded in acceptance. "I will, although the full details will have to wait until tomorrow, this way if you please. He turned to have Sting fall into step beside us. I remained at the side of Rogue, despite his analytical glare.

"I'd heard of you guys as being some awesome fighting group, is there going to be a fight or something?" Sting asked as we walked. I sighed; I'd known Sting admired Natsu, it was in his profile, but I hadn't expected him to be so annoyingly similar. Not that he would bother me for very long, I had other things to prepare for tomorrow whilst Walter and Cyrus kept the guilds busy.

"I don't trust you" Rogue said as we walked. I looked to him and smiled. _Yeah, I probably wouldn't trust us either… oh well, by tomorrow it'll be too late to stop the next stage of the plan. I hope Function's ready, because by the next evening there'll be war._

 **Chapter 10 End**

 **Next Chapter; Wheels and Cogs**


	11. Chapter 11 - Wheels and Cogs

**Chapter 11 – Wheels and Cogs**

 **Walter POV**

I paced carefully up and down the Fairy Tail guild hall, thoughts spinning around in my head. The meeting was only in a few hours and the pressure of what we were about to do was building up. Cyrus appeared from one of the corridors, face stoic. "Prime, it's almost time" he said flatly. I nodded to him.

"Yeah, I know that" I replied, trying to appear calm, but to no avail under the all-seeing eyes of Digit.

"You're fretting over something, is it the meeting?" he asked, a little note of concern in his otherwise emotionless voice.

"No" I said flatly. Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

I nodded. "Okay, yes I am. We've been dealing with these guys, the twelve, and of course _him_ " I spat the word, "by ourselves. Doing this now, asking these guilds for help… it just seems to go against everything I drilled into my very core. We pretend to be like them, but we haven't been human for a while now" I said. Cyrus nodded, brown hair neatly combed and not moving despite the motion.

"That is true, however this is a necessity for our ultimate victory. Function must be stopped at all costs" Cyrus stated.

I pouted, "We used to laugh and play and train, never had I thought _this_ was what would come of all those good times" I said, my voice fringed with nostalgic tones.

Cyrus shook his head. "That has happened, this is for our future. Come now, Blake's waiting on you" he said. Although he put on a face of absolute emotionless, I knew that he had those same good memories as me. I sighed and followed his lead to the room that had been prepared for the meeting ahead. _Damn it. He's right, but… still… This is a war we're starting; he could show a little more remorse._

/

 **Natsu POV**

We ran through the streets at high speed, me and Gray together. "Crap, oh crap!" I exclaimed as we dashed on.

"It's your fault flame brain. We're late because you wanted to lay around" Gray called over his shoulder, only a little ahead of me.

"My fault!" I argued back, stopping only to conserve breath, " _You_ were the one who insisted on eating before we left, we woulda had loads of time if you just did what I said and ate at the guild". Gray scowled and ran on ahead, putting a little more distance between us. I gritted my teeth and ran faster, catching him up so I was running beside him, the guildhall in sight.

Last night I had slept over at Gray's. We had spent the whole day together and by around 11PM we were tired. I had just intended on sleeping on Gray's sofa, however he had other plans and instead I spent the night sleeping beside him in his bed. It had made me so happy that Gray would let me do that, although we didn't do anything more than sleep. _I still gotta go with my plan and see how comfortable he is before I try anything_ I had thought as I watched him sleep for a little while, before finally settling into sleep myself. This morning I had awoke to a grinning Gray lying beside me. He had greeted me with a kiss and then we spent the next hour or so just lying there, in each other's company. That was, until, we both realised the time.

After a rushed breakfast, much at Gray's insistence, we had dashed out, Gray barely having time to lock his apartment door, before I dragged him through the streets. Erza had made it perfectly clear yesterday that we couldn't be late today for the meeting. Perfectly clear.

So now we ran on, barreling through the guild doors, before running straight to the room where the meeting was to be held. We both took a few breaths and tried to make ourselves look presentable, but before we could even knock, the doors opened and a _very_ pissed off Erza marched out. "You two are late!" she commanded, picking us both up and hauling us inside, only for the doors to close behind her by a scowling Makarov and a very scared-looking Lucy. Erza dropped us into two of the seats arranged around a large table, she herself taking the seat to my right, whilst to my left, beside Gray, Lucy and Makarov took their seats. I went to apologise to the group assembled for our lateness, but another voice beat me to it. "You're sorry your late, right?" Walter said from his position opposite Erza. I looked up at him, dressed in a bright silver suit and wearing a somewhat audacious glare, however I bowed my head and mumbled an apology, Gray following suit.

"We're sorry we were late" we said within seconds of each other. Walter laughed.

"Don't worry I'm sure you had your _reasons_ " he said, raising an eyebrow. We realised that he was referring to our relationship, but we both smirked slightly at the amusement of everyone else not understanding the joke.

"What's so funny?" Lucy asked skeptically. We shook our heads.

"Nothing" I said. Erza thumped her fist on the table.

"That's right, there's nothing funny about being late" she said. I jumped away from her instinctively, but then slithered back in my seat as I glanced around at the looks some of the others were giving us. Walter seemed amused by all this and chuckled a little before speaking again.

"Alright, that's enough. We have business to discuss and since those two are here now we may begin" Walter said. There was a grumble of agreement mixed with mutterings of annoyance around the table. "As you are all aware I was the one who called this meeting, however I must first apologise for taking time out of your busy schedules. There is a matter of great importance I would wish to discuss, and I am thankful you all took the time to respond. I am especially thankful to Master Makarov for allowing us to hold this meeting here" he gestured to Gramps, who was sitting with a slight smile. Everyone briefly glanced at the tiny wizard.

"That's all well and good, but why exactly did you summon us here?" a voice said from the assembled group. The source of the voice was probably one of the most powerful wizards here; Iron Rock Jura of Lamia Scale.

Walter nodded to the Wizard Saint. "Yes, I suppose that would be your first question, but if you allowed me to finish I was getting to that" he replied. "The matter at hand is a highly confidential matter, and only a few currently have any details at all. If we wish to discuss this you must all, right now, swear to secrecy. This will all be need-to-know" he added, before looking to his right to Cyrus, who rose to speak.

"If any of you do not wish to participate then you may leave now, if not we will take your staying as silent confirmation of the aforementioned ruling" the brunette Script mage said. There was a brief muttering, however no one made a move. After a moment Cyrus nodded back to Walter.

"Good. Then I may tell you of the exact reasons of why you are all here" he said. I breathed in a little. _Does he mean to tell them about those people? The ones who took me_ I thought, a pang of anger running through me at the memory of the witch who imprisoned me. "We brought together all of the guilds we feel could help us on our mission. Our mission is a simple one, but handed down to us, albeit indirectly, from our mentor. We need to deal with twelve individuals, each is a capable and powerful wizard, and each holds a unique ability. They are a danger to us all, but in order to stop them we feel we must request your assistance" Walter proclaimed. Cyrus flicked his sleeve and the pen he used for his magic shot out. He drew a few symbols in the air and a screen of shimmering grey light appeared in front of every member in the room.

"That's like archive" Hibiki commented, from his position beside the other members of the Trimens. Cyrus shook his head.

"Similar, but not quite" he said, before Walter took over again.

"These screens will display what we know of the individuals in question" he stated, "Firstly, there is twelve of them, as we said, however we ourselves have defeated three and another two were recently taken out with the aid of the very guild we're all sitting in" he nodded to Makarov. Another muttering went around the table.

"If you can defeat them yourselves why do you need us?" Eve Tearm questioned, eyes glancing over the information appearing on the screen. I didn't really bother reading it, I was only really here because Erza said to be, and I was only really interested in beating up the guys who attacked me.

"Yeah, I always heard that you Triplet Code worked under the radar, away from the aid of other guilds" Lyon Vastia spoke up, sitting between Jura and their guilds master, Ooba Babasaama. Gray muttered something I couldn't hear when his childhood rival spoke. Walter nodded to the Ice Make wizard.

"That is true, we have avoided fighting alongside other guilds because of the nature of the work we do. Often, I must admit, we have done some pretty awful things, mostly in the name of the Magic Council, who funds us" Walter replied, "However… that is the past, and we fight these twelve for the future. Recently I, along with my associates, have been fighting and working and even living beside those of Fairy Tail. This was initially just to find the two targets that we suspected were nearby, however as we went on we found that it could indeed be beneficial to have allies. So that is why we want you to help us". Lyon smiled, seemingly satisfied by that response.

"Will there be any reward?" Risley Law of Mermaid Heel asked, earning a look from Erza.

Walter grinned. "Err… does the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you did the right thing count?" he asked. Risley smiled.

"Nice try" she said. Walter chuckled.

"Well I suppose it's only natural for wizards to look at rewards for jobs they go on" he commented, before shrugging, "I guess we could say three million, thirty thousand jewel for each wizard" he added, smiling at the small gasp that escaped some of the members here, including Lucy.

"That much for just taking out one of these guys?" Jura asked skeptically, "Are they really so much trouble?"

Walter nodded. "I would be willing to go higher, depending on which target you took out. These people are dangerous and I don't really want you all to risk your lives doing _our_ job, so I would allow you time to consider your options before you agree to this" he said carefully, before bringing up more information onto the screens in front of everyone. "Speaking of the targets, here's the list" he added. I glanced over the names that showed up, seeing the two I knew; Succubus and Sand Man, which each had a line through them.

"These can't be their names, they're too stupid" Sting Eucliffe said. I glanced over to the blond Guildmaster, noting that he was looking over to me and smiling.

"Well… they're the nicknames we've given them" Walter said amusedly. "They usually reflect their powers"

"What about these ones" Gray spoke up from besides me, "The unnamed _Targets_ ". I gave him a sideways glance, noting that he was looking at Sting too.

"About that… I need to admit one thing; we don't have information on _all_ of them" Walter said, "We know about several of them, and have even fought a few on the odd occasion, however… some are so good at giving us the slip we don't even know their abilities" he admitted.

Lyon looked to Walter with confusion. "If you don't have knowledge of them then how are _we_ supposed to help you fight them?" he asked flatly. Gray looked to Lyon, a small nod aimed towards his rival.

Walter rubbed the back of his head. "These twelve are the epitome of evil and chaos. They would only do things that benefit them and the resulting evil that would cause is their biggest give away. If you suspect someone and are able to catch them then I would put it to you to ask them one question" Walter said. Jura raised an eyebrow, and I noticed Makarov looking intently at the other Wizard Saint.

"What question?" the Lamia Scale member asked.

"What is your nightmare?" Walter stated, earning a muttering of confusion. I took the opportunity to whisper to Gray.

" _Is there something going on with Sting, you keep looking at him"_ I asked. Gray looked to me and then to the blond.

"No, it's… nothing" he said.

/

 **Gray POV**

After the meeting had begun I sat in quiet as Walter announced to the group. I took the opportunity to analyze who was around us. Of course I immediately recognized all of those gathered, friends and allies from our past adventures all present; the Trimens, Ichiya, and Bob from Blue Pegasus, Lyon, Jura and Ooba from Lamia Scale, Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth, of course Natsu, Erza, Lucy and Gramps, as well as Kagura, Risely and Millianna from Mermaid Heel, and finally Walter and Cyrus. Looking at the group I was impressed at how many powerful wizards had attended, although one thing struck me as odd. _Where is Blake?_

The dark, brooding, black haired demon-mage was not seated with his team mates. _Probably off doing something, I suppose he wouldn't be good at actually talking to these guys_ I commented mentally, before turning my attention to Natsu with a subtle glance. No one had found it suspicious that we were both late together, thankfully, although it annoyed me that Lyon was here. _He'll probably make some comment later about how 'childish' I am for being late_.

As I sat listening to Walter I began to notice another feeling, like I was being watched. Looking once more around the assembled group I noted that Sting was looking over in our direction, instead of focusing on Walter. _Why is he watching us?_ I thought confusedly _Does he still idolize Natsu that badly or something?_

Deciding to ignore the stares of the blond I refocused my attention to Walter and to the screens that were in front of us. When the names appeared I heard the blond chirp up from his seat between Rogue and Kagura. "These can't be their names, they're too stupid" he said.

"Well… they're the nicknames we've given them" Walter replied with an amused tone. "They usually reflect their powers"

I noted how true that was. _That witch had her damned power over Natsu, and that guy with the sand…_ Memories of that unpleasant night filled my mind, until I noticed that near the end of the list there was no names, just the word 'Target' and a number. "What about these ones" I called out, "The unnamed _Targets_ ". Walter looked to me, along with Lyon and Sting. I ignored the smirk from Lyon, but then noticed the wider grin from the blond. _Why's he smiling like that, it's not like I said anything funny?_ I thought, A _ctually… is that at me or…_ I looked towards Natsu, following the line from Natsu's face to Sting's. _He's looking at Natsu?_

I heard Walter explain about the targets, however it was background noise; my whole attention was focused on why Sting was looking to Natsu. After a moment of thought I returned to the room, hearing a mumbling around me. Natsu leaned in and whispered to me. " _Is there something going on with Sting, you keep looking at him"_ he asked. I held my breath without meaning to, worrying that Natsu had thought I was staring or something. When he looked a little more intently at me I allowed my gaze to jump to the other Dragon Slayer, who was talking with his guildmate, and then back to the pinkette beside me. "No, it's… nothing" I said. Natsu nodded, smiling, before returning his attention to the group. I breathed out. _He'll probably bring it up later, right now he just wants to leave. I know he hasn't really looked at any of the information on that screen, he's more interested in beating guys up than reading_ I thought, a slight smile on my lips. _I know that because that's exactly how I feel too_.

After a little more discussion as to what each of the names meant a bell rang out from somewhere nearby. Walter heard it and then looked to Cyrus, who stood up again. "That's half of the meeting time covered. If there are no lasting questions, then we may adjourn for now and I believe our next meeting time is in two hours" there was a quiet rustling as people communicated between themselves.

"I have a question" Ichiya raised his hand, causing a quiet to form in the room. The Perfume mage stood up in his chair.

"Yes, mister Ichiya, what is it you would like to ask?" Cyrus said diplomatically. Ichiya struck a pose.

"Well… throughout the whole of this meeting," he began, striking another pose, "I have been smelling quite a fortunate parfum. Whilst the danger that is posed by these targets are great, I'm sure there is not one person here who doesn't want to take up your call to arms. So, I would just like to ask you this, why did all three of your members not appear in this meeting, you are supposed to be the _triplet_ code, correct? We all appeared, why did you not?" he asked. There was a small furrowing of brows by a few of the wizards.

"Actually… if I recall correctly I saw Blake leaving the guild hall earlier this morning" Lucy commented. Makarov nodded.

"Yes, I think I saw him leaving around 8AM" the tiny Guildmaster concurred.

Walter rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, that'd be about right. I sent him to gather up a few supplies from our home base whilst me and Cyrus took the meeting. He can't speak so I figured having him do that would be a better use of his time" the Requip mage answered. Now that their question was satisfied no other mage seemed to raise another question.

"Right, so see you all here in two hours" Walter finished, "Remember that, Natsu and Gray, _two hours_ , alright?" with that the meeting ended. Walter and Cyrus lead all of us out of the room, whilst Makarov explained the rules of the guildhall to the other wizards. I fell into step beside Natsu, "You want to go get a bite to eat somewhere?" I asked the pink haired Fire mage. He looked to me and smiled.

"Yeah, sure I do" he replied. Before we could escape the group I felt a small tap on the shoulder. Lyon was just passing me.

"Do try to be on time, Gray, otherwise you might just be too late to stop me from whisking Juvia off her feet" he said, moving to follow the rest of his guild whilst me and Natsu darted into a side corridor.

"Stupid Lyon" I sighed, making Natsu chuckle.

"Don't be jealous Gray, you can't have Juvia… _and me_ " he whispered. I smiled at him.

"Shut up Natsu, it was your fault we were late this morning" I said. Natsu pouted at me.

"Are we going to have this argument again?" he asked mockingly. I shook my head.

"No, I don't want to argue, I want to eat" I said. Natsu nodded, leaning in discreetly to place a kiss on my cheek whilst no one was about.

"Yeah, me too" he said, "So let's go" he tugged at my arm. Before I could leave with him we heard another set of footsteps coming back from the corridor where the rest of the group had gone. Natsu immediately leapt away from me, each trying our best to look casual.

Before we could even see who it was, however, we were greeted with a loud shout. "There you are!" the blond wizard said. I stared in surprise as Sting leapt around the corner. "When I didn't notice you were with the group I figured you must have ducked out" he said. I looked at him carefully.

"What are you doing here Sting, I thought you'd be with Rogue and the rest of the group" I commented. Sting shrugged.

"Rogue's busy sending a message back to Sabertooth to tell them how it's going, whilst I" he pointed to himself, "Wanted to ask you something". I raised an eyebrow as Natsu answered.

"What did you want to ask us?" Natsu asked. Sting smiled.

"Do you know any good places to eat?" he beamed.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gray was pouting as we ordered lunch. "I think I'll have fish" I said to the waitress.

"Me too" Gray said, a little grumpily.

"Yeah, me too" Sting added, smiling broadly. After Sting had run into us at the guild I had invited him to come eat with us. Although Gray hadn't made any direct objection to it, he seemed to sulk whilst we ate.

"I still think your so cool Natsu, I heard about how you got captured and was ready to assist if it was required. But then we got word that you were rescued and I was pretty relieved" Sting said, before taking a bite out of his fish. I nodded to him.

"Yeah, they did some pretty bad things" I said, trying to avoid the thoughts of just how terrible it had been, "But it was okay 'cause Gray got me out with the help of the guild" I added, smiling at Gray. Gray smiled back, but remained quiet.

"That must have been hard, but I'm glad you're good now, and I think I will probably accept those guys' offer to fight. I mean, if they are as big of a problem to be able to capture you then they will probably need to be beat, right?" Sting responded, seemingly oblivious to Gray's bad attitude. I nodded as I ate.

"Yeah, I'm gonna turn each one of 'em to ash" I said with a grin. Sting returned the grin before putting down his cutlery, done eating.

"Yeah, but only if they've managed to escape my Holy Ray" Sting said cockily. I chuckled a little as Sting stood up. "Sorry, I've just gotta go to the toilet" he apologised, leaving quickly. I watched him go, before turning my attention to the now scowling face of my boyfriend sitting opposite.

"Something wrong?" I asked him. He huffed.

"Why'd you have to invite him, this was just supposed to be us two?" Gray said, a little annoyance in his tone. I shrugged.

"He seemed friendly, and I felt bad for leaving him on his own" I replied. Gray just snorted derisively.

"Does that mean you care about him more than me?" he accused. I shook my head, leaning over to rest my hand on his briefly.

"Of course not, but he is a Guildmaster, and if we're going to be fighting with these guys shouldn't we be friends?" I countered. Gray retracted his hand.

"Yeah but…" he sighed. I cocked my head.

"Is this because of what happened in the meeting?" I asked. Gray looked to me, a little fear in his eyes.

"Natsu…" he said, "I swear nothing was going on in the meeting it was just… I saw he was looking at us, and then I think he was looking at you" Gray spoke quickly. I furrowed my brows.

"What do you mean, he was just smiling, and anyways, Lyon was looking at you" I said. Gray shook his head.

"Not like what Sting was looking at _you_. It was no accident he came to find us; I think… he might have been looking for _you_ specifically" Gray said.

I laughed quietly. "You don't think he is…"

"Yes, I do" Gray stated quickly. I shook my head.

"Impossible. When people like another person they give off a smell, like… pheromones" I said. "When Sting's been around us I haven't smelled anything like that, so I don't think he _likes_ me like that"

"I don't know Natsu… did you ever smell that from me?" Gray replied, taking a sip from his glass of water. I thought about it a little.

"I guess… not… but then, it's harder to tell when the smell is for you specifically" I explained. Gray went to say something else but Sting returned.

"Sorry about that, what are we talking about?" he said.

"Oh… just… guild stuff" Gray said quickly, "But anyways, I just wanted to ask you a question"

"Sure, ask away" Sting replied, taking a drink.

Gray grinned, "What's it like being a Master?"

/

After the meal we said goodbye to Sting. He headed off to the guild to find Rogue whilst I walked with Gray around town. "So… you really think Sting's attracted to me?" I asked Gray quietly. The Ice mage looked to me, before leading me down a side street to another lane.

"Yes, I do… but can we just wait until we get to my apartment" Gray said, "I don't want people catching us talking about that out here" he took my hand and lead me along another street, reappearing very near to his place. Once we arrived I darted inside and Gray locked the door behind us.

"Right, so now we can talk" I said. Gray nodded.

"Yeah. I just want to say this; Sting likes you Natsu" the dark haired wizard said. I rolled my eyes.

"You said that already, but I don't think that's true. Sure he smiled at me, and sure he found us at the guild, but that doesn't mean he likes me. He said I was his idol, remember, and he always wanted to have a drink with me and stuff after the games so maybe he just wanted to be friends" I said bored of Gray's complaints already. Gray shook his head.

"Stop being stupid, flame brain, he _likes_ you… it was obvious" he said. I jumped down onto Gray's sofa whilst the Ice mage leaned against the wall, facing me.

"I told you, he doesn't smell like he would so he _doesn't_ like me" I said, pouting a little. Gray sighed loudly.

"Will you stop being so stubborn?" he cried out, "And just see what's in front of you"

"I am, and all I see is two guys, one who wants to be my friend and the other who is my stubborn, jealous boyfriend" I said, laying down on the sofa so my full body was facing Gray.

"Okay, fine, maybe I might be a bit jealous, but… could you please just be careful around Sting, I don't want anything to happen" Gray said, walking over to me and kneeling so that his face was close to mine. I nodded and smiled.

"If that will stop you complaining, then yes, _I'll be careful_ " I said, before leaning up to kiss him softly.

"Good, because he really _does_ like you" he said with a smile. I tickled his side.

"And I'm telling you that he doesn't like me _that_ way, not like how _I_ like _you_ , popsicle" I said with a small chuckle. As soon as I said that Gray was leaning in for another kiss, however I pushed him off and sat up so that he could sit beside me. Gray did, and as soon as his butt hit the seat I sat on top of him, pushing him down.

"Nats-" he exclaimed in surprise, before my lips silenced him. I grinned down at him as I pulled away.

"I just wanted to show you how wrong you are that you could think I would let anyone take my attention more than _you_ " I said, before pulling me and Gray close "Now tell me again how you think Sting likes me". Gray smiled and pressed his lips to mine.

"Guess I'm wrong then, so show me how much I'm wrong" he chuckled, before we began making out.

/

 **A little while later**

We returned to the guild hall with plenty of time to spare, much to the annoyance of Gray. "We coulda spent a _little_ more time together" he mumbled as we made our way over to the booth Lucy and Erza were sitting in.

I rolled my eyes at Gray before sitting down next to Lucy. "Hey guys" Lucy said cheerfully. I smiled.

"Hey, what're you talking about?" I asked. Gray slumped down next to Erza as the red head replied.

"We were just discussing the meeting" she said calmly, "We were trying to work out who would be working with us"

"Yeah, I think that they will probably all help, although I wonder how much Walter is going to tell them" Lucy said. I nodded, taking in what the blonde was saying without really listening.

"I just want to bring the beat to those guys before they attack us again" I said, a little fire rising in my eyes as I thought about the fights ahead. Erza shook her head, thinking levelly as usual.

"They were powerful, and from what I heard you had some trouble dealing with that 'Sand Man' when you escaped the castle" she stated. Lucy nodded, a slight grimace on her face at the memory.

"Yeah, he was tough" she said, "We couldn't really do anything against him, it was all Blake" she added. I scowled, being reminded how useless I was in that evening really annoyed me. I noticed Gray smirk a little from his seat.

"Don't worry Natsu, I'm sure you'll be more help next time" he said, earning a look from Erza and a gasp from Lucy.

"Gray!" the blonde scolded, "You can't say that, it's not Natsu's fault he was caught, right Natsu?" she looked to me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I had to take that guy on pretty much alone, I'd like to see you better, droopy eyes" I retorted, a grin forming on my own face. Gray sighed and went back to his quiet self.

Erza gave him another look before standing up. "You two need to take this threat more seriously, we've already had to rescue someone once, I don't want to have to do it again" she said, before moving to leave, "Now I'm going to go find Kagura, there's something I want to ask her" she added, before marching off to find the other powerful Sword mage.

"See ya Erza" I barked out before leaving. Lucy got up too and I looked to her momentarily.

"Speaking of finding people, I need to go talk to Mira about a job I reserved. I don't think I need to keep it if this 'mission' is going to be keeping us busy, I'll see you later" she said, before dashing over to the counter to find the Take-over mage. As soon as Lucy was gone I looked to Gray intently.

"Well, we're alone now" I said with a smile. Gray cocked his head.

"Yeah, but we're in the guild, so we can't do anything" Gray replied sullenly. I rolled my eyes and leaned over to him. Before I could whisper what I wanted to, however, a voice sounded behind me. I turned in time to be met with a huge smile.

"Hey you two, have you just come back?" Sting said, Rogue standing at his shoulder.

I nodded. "Yeah, why? Did you need something?" I asked, glancing over to Gray to find the Ice mage in an even worse mood than before.

Sting shook his head. "No, after I left you two at the restaurant I went straight to the guild, where Rogue was waiting" he gestured with his head to his companion. Rogue smiled a little.

"I must thank you for assisting Sting" he said calmly, "I'm sure he must have bugged you". Sting scowled at the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"Rooooogue!" he complained, hitting his friend in the arm. I laughed a little at their actions, despite Sting becoming Guildmaster, and despite all that had happened with Jiemma and Minerva at the Tartaros base they still seemed the same somewhat childish pair that we fought at the games.

Suddenly Walter appeared on the landing above us. "Hey guys, the meeting's gonna start in three minutes, everyone here should get to the meeting hall, if anyone's not here can someone go fetch them, thank you" he barked. Before anyone could even process his commands the Requip mage disappeared off somewhere, Cyrus at his heels. Sting looked to us and then to Rogue. "Guess this means we'll leave you two here, see you inside Natsu, Gray" he bowed his head before leaving, Rogue muttering something as he left that sounded like 'idiot'.

We looked to each other before standing up ourselves, Erza coming over. "Ready for another boring talk?" I asked Gray, who was still eyeing up the retreating back of Sting. I clapped my hands in front of his face to get his attention. "Hey, Gray, did you hear me? I swear, if you keep looking at Sting any longer I'm gonna start thinking _you_ fancy him" I said. Gray snapped his attention to me at that.

"Shut it, pyro" he said, "What did I tell you, why did you have to enguage with him" he added. I rolled my eyes.

"For the last time St-" I started stopping only when I noticed Erza arriving beside us.

"What are you two muttering about? You better not be arguing again" she scolded. I sighed, between Gray's sulking and Erza's scolding today was not as fun as I had imagined it would be.

/

The meeting resumed in the stated three minutes. Erza practically dragged us to our seats, insisting we could not be late again, as the Master and Lucy followed us in. Once we were all seated Walter stood up, Cyrus quickly writing the same spell in the air as he had before to make the screens reappear. "Right, now that you all have had a couple of hours to deliberate I wanted to restart this meeting by asking you if you have any thoughts, or concerns, regarding what I told you last time" Walter started. There was a brief moment of quiet before Makarov raised his hand. Walter gestured to the Fairy Tail Guildmaster. "Yes, Master Makarov. I have informed you of much of what we intended when we first arrived, so if you have anything new to ask I'm sure you've given this some thought" Walter said. Makarov cleared his throat.

"Yes. When you arrived here and brought up the terms of our little arrangement I recall I asked you for details of your mission, which you willingly, albeit under secrecy, gave me. What I have to ask you now, however, is to do with your connection to the Magic Council" Makarov said. There was a small muttering around the table. Walter nodded.

"Alright, go on" he said, nodding to Makarov. The elder wizard stood up in his chair, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Thank you. So, as I said, I wanted to ask you this; why does the Magic Council want these specific twelve captured?" he asked. Walter pouted in thought for a moment before smiling.

"Okay yeah… that's a good question, but the truth is this has nothing to do with the Council" Walter said. There were a few small gasps of surprise.

"As I suspected" Makarov said, "That leads me to ask just one more question; what is _your_ connection to the Council?" he added a moment later. There was another murmur.

"Yeah, from what I heard the Triplet Code is part of some guild that works directly for the Council" Lyon said, "If you've no connection to the Council then how can you make a request for guilds to band together like this, only the Council has that authority".

Walter held his hands up as Makarov took his seat. "Okay… okay… Yeah, we're not doing this for the Council, but we are doing this for the good of everyone. The truth about us is this; our connection isn't with the Council per say, more that we are directly under the command, or more accurately we adhere to the requests of, a few select members. These are most notably former member Yajima, Lahar and Doranbolt of the Rune Knights, as well as the now sadly deceased Org. In addition to this all Chairmen are made aware of our presence, although usually through an intermediary chosen by us" Walter exaplained. I glanced at Gramps, who wore a slight smile.

"So Yajima knew about you" he mused. Walter nodded.

"Yes, Mister Yajima was our intermediary for a time, and we often did as he requested since he was such a positive influence in the Council" Walter noted. I smiled, remembering the few times I had worked for the ex-Council member in his restaurant.

The amusement did not last as Jura stood up to speak. "If I may ask you something then" the Wizard Saint spoke, "We Wizard Saints have recently reformed the Magic Council, how come we were not informed of your presence when we were given clear reports of all Council activities previous to the Tartaros incident?"

Walter rubbed the back of his head. "We were aware of the reformation, however we had not yet decided whether to appear. As for the reports, what we do is mostly highly confidential, and as such there are no 'official' reports, just the knowledge that those select few have on the matter. As I believe it stands now, besides those continuing their work in the Council, only Chairman Hyberion has been made aware of our existence" the Requip mage explain quickly. Jura frowned, but returned to sitting with his guildmates.

"If I may also add something" Cyrus spoke up, before tapping his screen in front of him to make images of a few of the Wizard Saints appear, including Jura, "We have been deliberating whether or not to request these members be made aware of us, so if you were not informed now then you would have been in the future" the brunette explained. Jura nodded to him,

Walter breathed in an audible breath. "Now that's cleared up, does anyone have any other questions?" he asked. A clanking of metal sounded from beside me as Erza rose from her seat. I glanced at her before pinning my attention back to Walter; whatever Erza asked I just hoped she liked the response Walter gave her.

"Yes, I have a question" she said boldly. Walter grinned.

"Ah yes, Titania Erza… what would you like to ask?" Walter said, no fear in his voice, which surprised me.

"I would like to ask what danger is actually posed by these twelve people, besides their powers. They seem more like trouble makers, not world class villains" she said.

Walter clapped his hands. "A good question, and one I'm sure a few of you asked yourselves during our little adjournment" he said, "The danger posed by these twelve is innumerable… as you said their power alone is dangerous, however…" Walter pushed his chair out and began to pace near to his seat, "their real problem lies in their connection" he said. A few quizzical looks formed on people's faces. I looked to Gray, who glanced at me with questions in his eyes.

"What connection?" Ichiya asked.

Walter's face turned serious. "They are all connected by a spell. This spell will unleash a powerful being if at least five of them remain in three months' time" he said flatly. Lucy gasped.

"Three months?!" she said. A few similar comments flew around the room.

"Why did you neglect to inform us of this before?" Erza accused.

Walter shrugged. "We believed their danger to be minimal until Natsu and Cyrus were kidnapped, now they are more of a threat we feel we must inform you of this. I decided to wait until now so you could process the other information and not feel pressured into acting alongside us" he explained. Erza cocked her head slightly, listening to Walter acutely.

Kagura raised her hand next. "So you've established the danger and the rewards of this mission, however I still have one question" she said. We all looked to the sword bearing wizard, waiting for her question. "Why should we fight with you, when we don't know anything about you or your powers?" she asked coldly. Erza seemed to smile slightly, obvious in agreement with Kagura's question.

Walter laughed, which made everyone jumped, and look to him with confusion. "That's exactly what I would expect you to ask" he chuckled, "However… it is still a valid question so I suppose you deserve an answer, if you'll direct your attention to the screens before you" he pointed downwards, retaking his seat. Kagura, as well as Erza, sat, although Kagura wore a significantly more skeptical face than Erza did.

Walter grinned. "Right, now that you're seated, observe" he tapped the screen twice and an image began playing of him standing in a plain brick room, "My magic, if that's what you're interested in, is simple; I use two forms, Requip magic, and Swift magic" he said. The image played out, firstly showing him Requipping into his Titan Gloves, followed by two wicked looking knives, and finally a whole body Requip into a red suit with flame patterns and matching gloves. "My Requip style is the Brawler, it allows me to easily shift between gloves, hand-held weapons like knives, guns and claws, as well as cloth armor or suits" Walter explained, "My other magic, Swift, is a special magic I found that allows me to move a set amount of steps in just one step, it's Spatial magic". Instead of taping the screen Walter stood up, "Observe, Swift; 10 Steps" he said, before moving in a blur of motion to the space behind Kagura's seat. "See" he said causing the sword wielding wizard to spin around in as much surprise as others. Before she could strike at him, however, Walter had returned to his seat. "I hope that satisfies you" he commented. Kagura seemed a little suspicious still, but nodded all the same.

"What about you?" Lyon asked, looking to Cyrus. Cyrus stood up.

"I use two forms of magic, just as Walter does. My first is the one before you, observe" he said, taking his pen in hand and writing a symbol intricately in the air. He snapped his fingers and it activated, causing a little fire to glow in the space above his seat. "I use Script magic, more accurately a specific form called Rainbow Script. Through its powers I can manipulate the elements, both empower and weaken spells, take control and warp magic, as well as control, to a lesser extent, light and shadow" Cyrus explained, before extinguishing the flame he conjured.

Hibiki raised his hand. "So you can use your magic to form screens like Archive?" the Archive mage asked. Cyrus nodded.

"Sort of. You can use Archive to store, collect, and transfer data, all I can do is use a mixture of my grey and white scripts to form these screens to show thoughts. All the data we showed you came straight from my mind" Cyrus stated. Hibiki seemed impressed, but didn't say anything further.

"You said you could use two magical abilities, if I may ask, what is your other power?" Master Bob of Blue Pegasus asked.

Walter smiled at the creepy Guildmaster, as Cyrus tapped the table. "Well… my other power is a form of Eye magic, the Scribe's Eyes, however… it would be difficult to demonstrate. All I can really say about it is that it allows me to understand spells that I see" Cyrus tried to explain. Everyone mumbled about the unhelpfulness of Cyrus' description, however, having seen them both first hand I didn't really care what the others thought. Both of those guys were powerful.

"What about your missing comrade?" Jura asked, "Blake was it? What is his magic?"

Walter stood up to respond. "I'm afraid it's a little more difficult to explain his, if you still want to know later, when he returns then I'm sure that he can give you all a demonstration" the Requip mage said. Another grumble went around the assembled group as Walter once again refused to provide an 'acceptable' answer to their questions. I almost went to say something about how awesome they all were, however a sudden eruption of noise came from the entrance to the room, swiftly followed by the arrival of Mirajane.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all, however…" she began, Walter raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong, Mira?" Lucy asked. The Take-over mage nodded.

"Yes, Blake has just entered and he looks like he's be attacked" she said. There was a loud collective gasp around the table. My first thought was; _Am I going to get to fight now?_

 **Chapter 11 End**

 **Next Chapter; Secret sharing**


	12. Chapter 12 - Secret Sharing

**Chapter 12 – Secret Sharing**

 **Gray POV**

Mirajane burst into the room, an eruption of noise coming from somewhere behind her. "I'm sorry to disturb you all, however…" she began. Walter turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

Before the Requip mage asked anything Lucy spoke up from her position next to me. "Is something wrong, Mira?" she asked, eyes straying to a spot behind the waitress, obviously looking for a hint. The Take-over mage looked to the group in general before speaking again. She then looked directly at Walter and Cyrus, who both now stood out of their seats, their backs to the group as they each looked directly at Mirajane.

Mira inhaled a breath and then spoke once more. "Yes, Blake has just entered and he looks like he's be attacked" she said with a slightly worried expression. There was a loud collective gasp around the table and I looked straight from Walter to Lyon before resting my attention on Makarov, seated just beyond Lucy to my left. The Guildmaster immediately rose from his seat.

"Show us" he said. Walter looked to him and nodded.

"I would like to go on ahead and survey my team member myself before you arrive, would you and Cyrus co-ordinate everyone to the atrium whilst I see to Blake first, then I will come get you" Walter stated. Gramps nodded in understanding of Walter's concern, before looking to the group, Cyrus coming to stand beside him.

"Well, you heard him, let's all go downstairs" he said. There were a few mumbled remarks about the commanding tone of the Guildmaster, however no one argued back openly. Once that was settled everyone moved with Makarov at the lead, Cyrus walking only a step behind. Walter had already dashed off from sight, no sign of the Requip mage ahead of us. I felt Natsu come up behind me, his hand tapping my back discreetly.

"Hey Gray," he whispered, "Do you think this means there's another one of those guys nearby?" I looked to him as he came to fall in step beside me. We were lagging behind the group, Erza and Lucy only a little ahead of us making sure that all of the other mages were heading in the right direction.

I sighed and looked at the flames, bright and brilliant, in my boyfriend's eyes. "I don't know Natsu, but I don't think Gramps'll be sending us off to fight them too quickly if they've already proven they can defeat Blake, and you know how tough he was" I replied. Natsu's train of thought was always an easy one; food, friend, foe, fight.

Natsu pouted unhappily. "Aww, I wanted to fight someone" he groaned. I smirked. _Yep, predictable_ I thought, although I had to admit I had similar thoughts. Natsu caught my smirk and smiled back.

"Guess you wanted to fight 'em too?" he suggested. I nodded.

"Heh… guess I'm easy for you to read like you are for me" I stated. Natsu laughed a little, before remembering what had just happened, the slight look Erza was giving us suggested she thought our laughter was inappropriate.

"Yeah, but isn't that supposed to be how it is for…" he leaned in close to my ear and whispered, " _boooooyfriends"_. I glanced up to check no one had heard any of the Fire Dragon Slayer's antics, however it didn't look like anyone had; they were all too busy navigating the large guildhall and thinking about or discussing the meeting and the news about Blake.

I grinned as I leaned in closer to Natsu. " _Yeah it is but… we aren't that far into our relationship yet_ " I said. This caused Natsu to look at me oddly, causing my grin to widen ever so slightly. "We have only just started Natsu, or did you forget there's more to a relationship than just one date" I stated. Natsu cocked his head and smiled.

"I know that, there's always a little more… _fun_ " he raised his eyebrows questioningly. I chuckled lowly, avoiding annoying Erza again. Natsu chuckled too and then we had to stop as we rejoined the tail end of the group as they all stopped. The infirmary was just through one of the side corridors and we could see Makarov gesturing for us to come over.

We responded quickly to the Master's wishes, and he immediately spoke in a hushed tone as we arrived beside him, both me, Natsu, Erza and Lucy all present, as well as Mira. "Mirajane is going to take them all downstairs, whilst we, as well as Ooba and Bob are all going to go check in on Blake. They insisted on coming" he said. We nodded to him as the aforementioned other Guildmasters joined us.

"I hope he's okay" Bob said, voice genuinely concerned. Ooba shook her head.

"First they say they're all powerful, then one of 'em comes back beaten and bruised. If they were lying about their power I'll spin them, I don't care if they've got ties to the council, no one lies to me" the 'old hag' said. Jura and Sting joined us as the group of other wizards left.

"I hope you're not forgetting about me" Sting said, his tone a little cocky despite the more serious look he was wearing. Makarov nodded to him.

"Sorry about that Master Sting" he apologised. Sting held up his hands.

"It's my fault for not asking to come" he replied coolly. Jura nodded.

"I wish to go to, as the only person here with actual connections to the newly reformed Council, as well as the Wizard Saints, I wish to observe this 'Blake' myself" he stated. Makarov nodded and motioned for us to go.

"Of course, I'm sure Walter will have no objections" he said. At that final statement we all went over to the infirmary door, a 'come in' resounding out before we could even knock.

/

We entered the infirmary room to the smell of blood. Walter was standing over a bed where Blake lay. The dark haired wizard rested upon white sheets with red splatters already covering a large amount of them. "He's gonna make it through" Walter said, very matter-of-factly. Blake's eyes were closed, but his chest was rising and falling in a somewhat erratic pattern, suggesting he was still alive, although barely. Wendy entered after a moment, Mirajane behind her. The younger Sky Dragon Slayer immediately went over to Blake, however Walter placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from even beginning. "He needs a moment before you work on him" the Requip mage said. Wendy looked at Walter with a confused expression. Walter nodded. "Remember that his magic changes his body, in his current state your healing spells will have no effect on him" he informed her. Wendy looked to the group, who seemed to be analyzing Blake carefully, especially after hearing Walter's last statement. Makarov stepped forward.

"Is there anything we can do to assist him?" the older wizard asked. Walter looked at him with a serious look in his eyes, but shook his head.

"Not until he wakes up we can't" Walter informed him. Makarov looked to the rest of us together, before Mirajane went to leave to deal with the other wizards in the main section of the guildhall.

I took a closer look at Blake's condition, even from here I could tell it was serious. Natsu was sniffing the air carefully, a suspicious look on his face. I only glanced at him before I analysed Blake's wounds; he was covered from head to toe in scratches, with many holes in his clothes. The holes and wounds were not perfect, or evenly shaped, it looked as though a wild beast had attacked him, with claw marks raking across his sides that seemed to lead onto his back. He had a large gash on his other side, and you could almost see the bone in his right leg from the depth of the wound there. Overall he looked well on the way to death, yet Walter seemed confident of his condition. Cyrus, who had been remaining oddly quiet stepped forward after another moment.

"Walter, do you think we should try it?" he asked. Walter looked to him, and then back to Blake, before responding.

"Guess so, doesn't look like he's gonna wake up of his own accord any time soon otherwise" he replied, almost casually. The exchange seemed to have piqued the interest of the Ooba and Bob, who each looked like they were about to ask the same question; what are you going to do?

Makarov beat them to it. "What spell are you going to cast?" he asked. Walter looked at him fleetingly as he and Cyrus each took a vigil on either side of Blake's bed.

"We're going to use a more basic healing spell" Cyrus replied, "It's not as potent as Wendy's magic, but it should allow Blake a moment of consciousness to allow him to get things started". The response seemed to only raise more questions in the assembled wizards of the group, although no one spoke now as Cyrus began writing in the air. He snapped his fingers and the spell activated. "Script Fusion; Blue, Green, Violet, White, Gray" he said flatly, "Fuse and cast… Healing Font"

Walter chimed in a second later. "Requip; Apothecaries Master" he said, a light enveloping him and changing his attire to a longer white coat, with a white shirt and black trousers. In each hand he wore a white glove with myriad blue symbols all over them. Cyrus' spell caused a flow of rainbow light to pour forth from the symbols, enveloping Blake's body as Walter held his hands over Blake, a faint light emitting from the gloves to join the rainbow outpour. After a moment the rainbow light stopped, some of it sinking into Blake's skin whilst more of it dissipated harmlessly into the air. After another few moments Walter ceased his casting too. No sooner had he done that Blake awoke.

There was a slight inhalation of breath from our group as we all were amazed by the two healing the half-dead wizard. Blake looked around groggily before setting eyes on Walter firmly. Walter grinned as Blake tapped his throat and made a sign.

"You aren't strong enough to lift it yourself?" he asked. Blake shook his head silently. Walter nodded and laughed. "You need to stop making a habit of this, showing up beaten, battered and bruised at the guildhall, we're guests here, remember?" the Requip mage teased, a light enveloping his index and middle fingers, which he tapped to Blake's throat. As soon as he did that Blake opened his mouth and after a deep breath, which looked painful, he began to sing.

"Thy great divinity, to be marveled by all…" he began, the sound filling the room, causing Bob, Sting and all the others here, including Makarov and Erza, to mutter in amazement.

Cyrus looked to them and held a finger to his lips. Before they could ask why he wrote something in the air with his spell-pen.

BLAKE'S MAGIC ALLOWS HIM TO CONTROL MAGIC BY SINGING, BUT WE CAN'T DISRUPT HIS HARMONY. WE MUST BE TOTALLY SILENT. WENDY, YOU MAY BEGIN WORKING ON HIM AS SOON AS HE FINISHES OR LOSES CONCIOUSNESS.

He wrote. Everyone scanned over the words and nodded to him. He nodded back and then refocused his attention to Blake. The song continued, and soon a small, accompanying hum filled the room. Bob seemed transfixed by the sound, whilst Sting looked around in confusion. I grinned and looked to Natsu, who I noticed also seemed transfixed. He did smile a little at me, scooting a little closer to me, but not too close that it was obvious to those around us. _He's cute when he looks like that, like a puppy after a treat._

After another minute the song died down as Blake fell once more into unconsciousness. Walter looked to Wendy, who darted over, blue light covering her hands as she began to heal Blake. Whilst she worked on her new patient Walter went over to the group. "I'm sure this has raised many questions among you, however may we please wait until we reconvene in the conference room?" he asked us. Ooba, Jura, Sting and Bob all nodded in agreement.

"Sure, just take as much time as you need and then inform me when you're ready" Makarov said "We'll wait for you in the main area downstairs". I looked to Natsu, who smiled broadly at me as we moved closer to the doorway, the masters and Wizard Saint leaving the room before us. I furrowed my brows.

"What's got you grinning like an idiot, flame brain?" I asked discreetly. He ran his hand up my back quickly.

"Just… remembering _that night_ … it may sound weird that I'm smiling about it though" he said. I nodded.

"I don't seem to remember anything to smile about" I responded quietly. Natsu shook his head.

"Neither do I really. But it's just… I was thinking about when you _found_ me" he replied. I looked at him with a slight smile.

"Are you talking about the whole 'you could have died' thing, or… _the 'almost getting me covered'_ thing?" I whispered. Natsu smiled broader.

"The last one" he said. I nodded as Erza and Lucy joined us, all four of us walking out of the infirmary room.

"What were you two whispering about?" Lucy asked. Natsu directed his smiling face at her.

"Just… thinking about how powerful the guy must have been to do _that_ to Blake, and how much fun it'll be to smash him to pieces" Natsu replied casually. Lucy rolled her eyes as Erza's face remained stoic.

"You shouldn't joke Natsu, they _are_ powerful, and they _will_ be difficult to defeat" the redhead said bluntly. Natsu pouted and looked at me to say something in defense against Erza. I shrugged, Natsu may be my boyfriend but there was no way in hell I'd back him up in an argument with the Queen of the Fairies. Seeing my intention Natsu sighed and walked ahead of us. I watched his back as he maintained a steady distance in front.

"Don't go in a bad mood just because Erza said for you to focus, stupid dragon" I said aloud. Natsu glared back at me before going back to his little sulk. _Guess I'm in trouble… nothing I can't handle of course_ I thought before looking to Lucy and Erza.

"Do either of you having some spare jewel I could borrow to buy something to eat, I'll pay you back?" I asked them. Lucy shook her head.

"I barely have enough to pay rent and still have some spare change" the blonde celestial wizard said. Erza shook her head too.

"If you want to get something to eat you should have gotten something before the meeting" she said flatly, "Although… if you really are that desperate I could make you something up quickly using the guild's kitchens" she added, a slight smile on her features. I politely refused her offer, causing her to shrug. "Suit yourself" she said, before turning a corner and breaking off from the group. "I'm just going to go train outside until Walter is ready, come find me if he calls us in soon" she said. Lucy nodded and waved at her before falling back into step with me. When we arrived at the ground floor of the guild she darted off to where Levy was sitting with Gajeel and Cana whilst I went and found Natsu in a side booth.

"Sulking still?" I asked him. He looked up at me.

"You're a coward, not standing up to Erza, even for _me_ " he said. I sighed.

"Do you think you'd have done the same for me?" I asked. Natsu pouted.

"That's not the point" he said. I laughed.

"Yeah, it kinda is, dragon princess" I replied.

"Shut it matchstick" he barked back. I ignored his comments and smiled, reaching under the table to prod his side.

"You stop sulking then" I responded. Natsu rested his chin on his arm, looking up at me with eyes of flame.

"Make me" he said. I smiled. _He's already stopped, he can't stay mad for long anyways…_

/

 **Natsu POV**

The call was made over the banister by Walter some half-hour later. "Could all required wizards report to the conference room, whilst those few please come to Blake's room" he shouted before disappearing over again. Gray, who was laying down opposite me in the booth, looked over.

"Guess that means Blake's awake again" he said. I nodded.

"Yeah…" I said distractedly. Whilst the little sulk I had with Gray had been fun to wind the Ice mage up, I did already have something on my mind… well, two things. _Blake smelled funny, not just because of his demon stuff but also… there was an animal-like scent coming from those wounds. And on top of all this we're going to start fighting these guys… I don't want Gray to get in a fight until I get to start my plan with him…_

"You alright, Natsu?" Gray asked. I nodded.

"Just thinking about Blake, he smelled so strongly of blood before" I said, not really lying but not really telling Gray about my thoughts either. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad" he agreed as we got up and began heading towards Blake's room.

"There was a funny smell too… I think it might be because of his magic" I added as we walked. Gray nodded.

"Well… I suppose he would smell funny if he's half demon or whatever" he said. I nodded, shifting a little closer to Gray and smiling.

"Although, you also smell a little funnier now with that new magic" I added. Gray looked at me.

"You're telling me that now?" he asked. I nodded.

"I didn't want to you before because I thought it might come off weird, but I feel I should have told you" I said. Gray sighed.

"Anything else you're not telling me?" he asked. _Yes, but I need a bit more time before that_.

"No, nothing at all" I said. _Liar_.

"'kay then" he said, before we turned the last corner to be met by the full group of wizards once again; Kagura, Jura, Ooba, Bob, Sting, Gramps, Lucy and Erza. As soon as we arrived Walter popped his head around the door.

"Come in then" he said. We all did, and were met this time with a slightly less blood ridden sight. The sheets seemed to have been cleaned or replaced, and Wendy was now nowhere to be seen. Blake lay awake on his bed, with Cyrus standing directly beside him. Blake was fiddling with a light pen in his hands. "Right, so before you ask, Blake is going to tell us what happened, and then we will go back to the group and we will answer any questions you have on his magic, agreed?" Walter said upfront. Everyone nodded, before Walter looked to Blake, who nodded also. At that signal he began to write.

INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE MEETING I WAS INSTEAD INSTRUCTED TO GO COLLECT SUPPLIES FROM OUR BASE. ON THE WAY THERE I SENSED A FOREBODING PRESENCE, NEARBY TO MAGNOLIA. DECIDING TO GO INVESTIGATE I WENT TO FIND A SCENE OF CARNAAGE, A MERCHANT CARAVAAN HAD BEEN ATTACKED AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS KILLED VISCIOUSLY. NO ONE SURVIVED.

He stopped for a moment as everyone finished reading what he wrote. After a couple of minutes he continued.

THERE WAS A BEAST LYING IN WAIT, HOWEVER.

Walter furrowed his brows. "So an animal did this to you?" he asked, obviously interested in what could have caused such injuries. Blake shook his head.

ITS ONE OF THE UNKNOWN TARGETS, I THINK. IT KEPT ON REPEATING 'NIGHTMARE' LIKE IT WAS RAVING MAD. IT HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A HUMAN, BUT WITH DEADLY CLAWS AND FANGS, AND IT COULD CHANGE IT'S APPEARANCE TO BECOME ALMOST INVISIBLE IN ITS SURROUNDINGS. I TRIED TO FIGHT IT INITIALLY, BUT IT WAS TOO FAST, SO I INSTEAD TRIED TO RUN, BUT IT CHASED ME, GIGGLING LIKE IT WAS A GAME.

Blake wrote with a more shaky hand.

I BARELY ESCAPED AT ALL, ONLY USING POTION 27 TO ESCAPE.

Cyrus read over the number carefully, his face clearly in thought. "That's… his Demon Dance concoction. It forces reality itself to warp around the splash zone. I take it you used this to move in space?" Cyrus analysed. Blake nodded.

YEAH. I HAD TO CRAWL TO THE GUILD HALL THOUGH, I MISSJUDGED THE TIMING AND APPEARED AT THE END OF THE STREET.

He wrote. Walter shook his head. "That was dangerous, that potion could have killed you" he scolded. Blake nodded, a look of apology on his face. Makarov mumbled something.

"Did it know where you were living or staying?" he asked. Blake shook his head.

NO.

"I don't believe there's a danger it'll come here" Walter said, "Although to be safe we should put a look out group together to keep an eye on things in and around the guild and town. That goes for your guilds too, just in case it tracks you all down as having connections to us" Walter added. Makarov nodded, before looking in the direction of me, Gray, Lucy and Erza.

"Will you four stay near the guild for the time being?" he asked. We all nodded, if what Blake said was true then that'd mean I'd get to fight that creature.

"I'll have Ichiya and those boys stay around our guild" Bob said.

"Jura and Lyon should be able to handle that thing" Ooba said, looking directly at Jura, who nodded.

"All of us in Mermaid Heel can handle ourselves… although I will keep a particular watch out for this creature, whatever it may be" Kagura said sharply.

"Me and Rogue will stay and keep an eye out anyways, plus Lector and Frosch can always help with that" Sting said confidently. Walter nodded.

"Good, you have all made a quick decision, that is why I believed you'd be best for this mission" Walter said, "Now… Blake, is there anything else to add?" he asked. The black haired wizard shook his head. "Fine. Then Cyrus will stay here to keep an eye on him, whilst we rejoin the wizards in the conference and I'll answer your questions" the dark-haired Requip mage said, taking charge and leading us all away from the infirmary room. As I left I smiled at Gray; at least now I'd have an excuse to spend time with him without going on a job. Although it would mean we'd both be charging head first into battle with these twelve powerful individuals.

 _And I still need to tell him about_ 'that' I thought solemnly.

/

 **Narrator POV**

 _The wizards all left the conference hall some two hours later. After a long and complex explanation from Walter about Blake's magic, his situation in that he was not fully human nor yet a demon, as well as holding votes on various courses of action they should take, the wizards finally settled on a vote about joining the mission. The result of this vote was clear to all instantly; a one hundred percent agreement for assisting the Triplet Code._

 _After this result and a small thank-you speech from Walter the wizards all adjourned to go to their respective lodgings and discuss matters further. The next day they would all go back to their guilds and select a group of no more than six wizards to become part of their individual 'task forces' to assist in the finding and defeating of each of the twelve targets._

 _For the wizards of Fairy Tail this meant a confinement order from Makarov to remain in the vicinity of Magnolia at all times. Despite this order the wizards were not perturbed as this gave them a well-earned rest from work, although soon they'd be embroiled in a war between the Triplet Code and their mysterious adversaries. Contrary to expectations Natsu appeared quite happy to stay in Magnolia and the guild, although no one could figure out why. No one except a certain Ice wizard that is._

 _Now that the meeting was over, Gray and Natsu went out for another small meal, before they each left the other to their own devices, agreeing to meet up the following day._

/

 **Natsu POV, The following day**

"But it's sooooo hot outside… come on" I moaned. Gray sighed, he was sitting in his underwear on his sofa.

"Natsu, I told you, it's too hot. I don't want to go out. Just stay here with me" Gray replied. I had come over to his apartment today. After sitting around his door a few days ago, and being stuck in that meeting yesterday, I felt like we could maybe actually _do_ something today, however apparently I was wrong. The weather was perfect, sun shining brightly despite it being only Spring, and I had thought that me and Gray could do something outside, however the grumpy Ice Make wizard who met me at his door earlier this morning was less then interested.

"But it's borrrring inside, Graaaay" I whined. When Gray had invited me in again I had been so happy, however all he did was sit around, and he never wanted to go outside, so eventually I had made it my mission to be as annoying as possible to force him out.

"No Natsu" he complained. I was resting my head in his lap, using this position to tickle his sides, earning only a scowl and a small hit to the side of my head.

"But…" I started, giving up half way, it was pointless. Instead I decided to grin at Gray. "I thought you said we should do more stuff together?" I stated, raising my eyebrows. Gray looked down at me with a smile of his own.

"Yeah, I did. But I didn't say that had to be _today_ , and if you keep _annoying_ me I'll kick you outta here until we have to go check in with Walter at 1PM, flame brain" Gray retorted, tone sarcastic, but with an undertone of annoyance.

I rolled my eyes. "If we're gonna be inside can we at least do something more interesting than sitting around, I'm so bored!" I complained. Gray sighed again.

"Fine, what do you want to do?" he said, exasperated. I grinned widely.

"How about a little contest?" I offered. Gray raised his eyebrow in question.

"What type of contest?" he asked, from his voice he sounded suspicious. I giggled a little.

"Errr… what about Truth or Dare? Or how about we have some sort of test, like who can do the most push-ups?" I said. Gray shook his head, his hand resting itself in my hair.

"Not ever. You always make it impossible on dares _and_ we've already done that other contest. I won, remember?" he smirked cockily.

I pouted. "Oh alright then… erm… how about we play chicken?" I said, eye's narrowing. _This might get him interested… plus it was one of the things I wanted to do when I came over_ I thought a little too happily.

"Somehow I don't think we can play chicken, Natsu" he said amusedly. I furrowed my eye brows in question.

"Why? Too scared?" I mocked, making a few chicken noises. Gray shook his head.

"Not too scared" he said, before bending down and planting a sideways kiss to my lips, pulling away with a smile, "More like; been there done that" Gray stated. I laughed.

"Who said it was _that_ kind of chicken?" I replied. Now Gray furrowed his brows, causing me to laugh and sit up, sitting cross legged so I could face him and keep close.

"What other kinds are there; I mean… you don't like vehicles so…" he seemed confused. I trailed a finger up his chest.

"How about… we see who can go the longest without _peeking_?" I laughed. Gray looked wide eyed at me, before looking away, a slight blush on his face. _Adorable_ I thought.

"Y-you mean…" he was suddenly very quiet. I laughed louder.

"Yeah. I mean we both strip down and…" I trailed off, laughing too hard at Gray's increasingly red face. Gray shook his head.

"You can't really be serious Natsu" he stated. I nodded vigorously, leaning in close to his ear.

"Sure I am. Totally serious" I whispered, drawing back to enjoy the look Gray was putting on. _It would be pretty funny if he agreed_ I thought amusedly. Teasing Gray into doing something like this had been my ultimate goal for today, although originally my plan had been for us to go to the bathhouse, where he'd _have_ to strip, however as he seemed adamant on staying in this was a pretty good alternative. _Plus, if I want my plant to work I need to get him to strip in front of me. Then I could tell just how comfortable he was before we moved onto the next 'step'…_ I thought, the plan I had been working on during my job away jumping to the forefront of my mind.

Gray looked me up and down once more. "Come on Natsu, knock it off. We can't do stuff like that when we haven't even…" he stopped his sentence without finishing. I smiled at him. _Looks like he's said it, or at least thought it… maybe he would…_

"When we haven't _what_ , Gray?" I probed, voice becoming a little more serious; I wanted more information on just how comfortable Gray was with this before I got to this topic, however now that we were here there was no avoiding it. _I really want to go the full distance with Gray, but I need to hear him agree to it first._

"You know what… Natsu…" he said, slightly embarrassed. I raised my eyebrow, pushing him for an answer.

"No I don't Gray" I stated bluntly. He looked up, eyes meeting mine with fierceness and annoyance. It was oddly _exciting_.

"We haven't had sex" he said angrily. I smiled once more, causing him to look away again.

"Oh that" I said, tone a little mocking. Gray didn't say anything further, so I raised my hand to his cheek, trying to get him to face me once more. When he finally did I spoke again. "I guess that's true, but…" As I spoke I suddenly found the words I wanted were not there. _I just need to ask him if he would ever want to_ I thought, _so why can't I say that? It's part of the plan after all…_

"You guess so?" Gray said, both a statement and a question in his tone. I locked eyes with him briefly, taking a breath in.

"I guess it's true but… err… do you think you would… want to?" I stuttered out. Gray looked to me once more, a look of surprise taking his face again.

"Do you mean… are you asking me if I want to have sex with you?" he blurted out. I blushed and nodded, not looking away for fear of him rejecting me. If he rejected it, I would face him directly whilst he does so. "Oh well… I…" he smiled just as wide as I had done before, "I can't say I _don't_ want to" he replied. I cocked my head.

"You really want to?" I asked, desperate to believe that Gray was actually agreeing with this. He nodded.

"Of course, flame brain, I wanted to for… for a little while now" he said. I beamed at him.

"Really! So it wasn't just me then?" Gray shook his head, however before I could say anything more a thought struck me and my face went colder again, "But I forgot, you're not a Dragon Slayer, you wouldn't want to do it with me" I said suddenly. Gray looked at me with a suspicious glance.

"I just said I did, fire breathing idiot" he said. I scowled at him. _He won't understand unless I explain it._

"No, you don't. I just…" I breathed in another steadying breath, "I just think you wouldn't" I said. _I still need to explain it, he doesn't understand yet how important that would be for a Dragon Slayer. The plan was just to see if he would want to have sex in the future but…_

"Is this something to do with you being a Dragon Slayer then?" he asked. I nodded, but smiled a little broader. _So he can guess that good, huh…_

"Yeah, I'll have to kinda explain it to you later, but I need to get something first. I'm sorry for jumping this on you and then stopping like this" I apologised. _I would need to show him my treasure before I could let him decide to go through with it_.

Gray continued to give me a skeptics look. "Is it something special? Or is that just an excuse for you to put this off?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"It is _sort of_ something special, but not really an excuse. I mean… I didn't mean we should do it right now, just if you… you know, wanted to in the future. But then I… I forgot to explain some stuff to you and…" I stammered off.

Gray shrugged. "I still want to do it, even if you're a Dragon Slayer, it doesn't matter to me" he said. I just nodded.

"Okay, but I just forgot when I was asking before" I said, "It's not that I don't want to either, just…" I trailed off again, it was hard to explain this without my treasure. _If only he'd gone out with me I could've tested things at the baths and then showed him it. Stupid plans_ I thought, a little annoyed at how things had worked out.

"Don't worry about it Natsu, if you need to show me something beforehand then its fine with me. I guess you still have a few secrets, huh?" Gray said. He didn't sound nearly as annoyed or as bored as before, so I felt a little more reassured. I nodded, resuming my position with my head in his lap.

"Yeah" I said. Gray looked down at me for a moment, threading his hand through my hair. After a little moment of quiet I spoke up again. "Are you sure we can't go outside? It's so nice out and I really think we'd be better off going somewhere together"

Gray sighed loudly. "You really are hopeless. First you act all teasing, then you get all secretive, and now you're just plain annoying" he said. I smiled up at him, tickling his side like I had before, and earning another slight tap to the head.

"Yeah, I am, but I'm also your boyfriend and I can be all those things if I want to be" I replied. _But I could also be something more… if he still agrees with it…_

 _If he agrees to be my Mate._

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu lay in silence for a while; it was an odd feeling. It wasn't that I didn't mind a bit of peace and quiet after the incessant whining I had suffered for the last hour or two, however it was just… odd. He had seemed so excited when he had talked about sex, yet as soon as that topic had come up he had gone really reserved, as if something was gnawing away at him. I trailed my fingers through his pink strands, my own thoughts shifting in numerous questions. _Why would he need to show me something first? He said it was to do with Dragon Slayers but… what could he possibly need to do, he knows how much I like him so… It's just so weird_ I thought. I rested my head back, breathing in deeply; it had been a good twenty minutes since Natsu had last uttered a word and I was beginning to worry. "Natsu…" I said. No response. "Natsu" I repeated, slightly louder. He turned so he was lying on his back, staring straight up at me, dark eyes meeting my own.

"What is it Gray?" he asked politely, "Did you change your mind about doing something?"

I looked down at him intently for a moment before deciding what to say now. _I suppose a walk around town wouldn't be so bad_ I debated. "Er… well… I guess I wouldn't mind going for a walk or something" I said casually, not wanting to give the Dragon Slayer any chance to make a statement.

Natsu smiled. "Okay then, anywhere particular?" he asked. I thought about this for a moment, but then just shook my head. "Right, so should we just wander and see what to do next?" he added. I nodded and he sat up, eyes looking intently to me.

"Just let me get some clothes on first" I said. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, I don't want to be walking around with a guy in his underwear… alone… people might get the _wrong_ idea" he smirked. I punched him lightly on the arm.

"Shut up, pinkie. You know it wouldn't be the first time if I did, and I don't think many people in Magnolia would be _that_ surprised to see me half naked" I retorted. Natsu shoved me a little, before I stood up.

"Just get changed already, you pervy stripper" he commented, "I know we're trying to be discrete so I figured you should get changed, that's all"

"That's why I said it" I said, rolling my eyes as I disappeared off to my bedroom to grab some clothes. When Natsu had showed up at my door this morning it had been pretty early and I hadn't even gotten ready, even if I would strip down later I usually at least _start_ the day with clothes on, however Natsu hadn't given me any opportunity to get changed so I just sat around with him on my sofa, talking with him or debating whether to go outside. _That was… until we talked about_ that _topic…_ I reminded myself. As I got clothed I thought more about it and by the time I left my room I made a resolution; get Natsu to do whatever he needed to do, especially since I'd get to have some _fun_ afterwards.

/

We left my apartment about ten minutes later, after Natsu had suggested a few places we could go as we walked around town. I agreed to all but two, the bathhouse and his house in the woods. Natsu hadn't seemed fazed by my responses at first, however as we continued to walk about he became more and more insistent on us going to the baths. "No Natsu, it'll be hot in there and it's already hot as it is" I said, for the fourth time as we passed the baths. Natsu pouted.

"Buuuuut… we could get to have a bit more fun in there" Natsu replied. I shook my head, Natsu frowned and we continued walking down the street, retreating from the bathhouse as we continued along. "Oh, you're no fun" Natsu huffed childishly. I sighed.

"I just thought that after… our discussion earlier you might not want to" I said. Natsu cocked his head, but then looked at the ground and breathed out.

"Fine. I guess you have a point… but can we at least go to the west gate park?" Natsu asked. I nodded this time, scooting a little closer to the Dragon Slayer as we walked.

"Yeah, at least there we know some places where we can get some _privacy_ " I whispered to him. He looked at me with a look of confusion.

"Why do we need pr-" Natsu started, being stopped only by a discrete smile from me.

" _Because I want to show_ you _something too_ " I whispered. This had Natsu's attention. _Yeah I want to show him just how badly I want him to tell me his secret so we can move on_ I thought to myself. Now with a little more spring in his step Natsu bounded along after me.

"Alright then, let's go" he barked more excitedly. I walked after him with an increased pace and soon we came to the park, entering the grassy, slightly shaded, area of greenery, trees and plants. Natsu seemed to lead the way a little and after a little bit of ducking through a few tree areas we came to a secluded spot, surrounded by nothing but plants and with no other company than each other. As soon as we entered this area Natsu turned on the spot and grinned at me. "What did you want to show me?" he asked. I sighed, sometimes Natsu was such a child it was annoying.

"I wanted to show you one thing, alright, just one" I replied, gesturing for the Fire mage to sit with me on the grass, which he did so readily. Once he was sat, I moved to sit opposite him, legs crossed. Natsu watched me intently, waiting for me to speak again. I took a breath in and formulated what I was going to say next carefully. _If I don't say this right Natsu might get a bit annoyed or a bit afraid and not want to tell me his secret,_ I thought.

"Uh… Gray?" Natsu said after a moment, "Do you actually have something to show me? Or was that just a trick?"

"It wasn't a trick but… I don't have something _physical_ to show you" I replied. This caused Natsu's face to twist in confusion.

"What do you mean 'not physical', do you or don't you have something, Gray?" Natsu asked, both confused and impatient. I took another, deeper breath before speaking again.

"It means that it isn't something you can touch" I started, causing yet more confusion to form on Natsu's features. "B-but before you ask what it is, I just want to say something" I added. Natsu nodded and smiled at me, obviously willing to put up with anything if just to learn something about me. "Well… you know how strongly I feel about you Natsu, and I have done for most of the time I've known you. What I wanted to show you was that no matter what happens I don't think these feelings will ever go away and I just… I just wanted to show you that you can tell me anything. No matter what it is I don't think it will ever change this, okay?" I said, voice growing increasingly shaky. Natsu went quiet after I finished, vision going a little dimmer to show me that he was thinking about something. I wanted to press him for a response, however I stayed motionless. Eventually Natsu made a move.

"Gray… I've felt the same about you for probably as long as you have about me, but…" he looked down to the grass for a moment before speaking again, "There was always something that stopped me from ever telling you any of this" he said, voice growing hesitant. I furrowed my brows, moving my arm to rest my hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"Natsu… I know we've only been together a week, and we haven't really spent that much time together… but I really want to be with you in more ways than one. If telling me this thing, whatever it is, would allow us to have an even stronger bond then I… want to see it" I said. Natsu met my gaze and our eyes locked.

"Are you really sure about that?" he asked flatly. I nodded.

"Yeah" I replied. Natsu sighed and moved his arms behind him so he was sitting looking up at the sky.

"It's really hard to explain, and Igneel only told me a little bit about it but I think I understand what's going on" Natsu said. I looked at him quizzically, however from his new position I doubt he saw this. "But you know how Dragon Slayer's have advanced senses, like smell, or even hearing?" he phrased this as if it wasn't already common knowledge, especially in our guild with three of them.

"Yeah, sure… but what does that have to do with us?" I asked Natsu, who muttered something inaudible before speaking again.

"Well… our senses aren't the only thing enhanced because of our magic. Dragons normally pick only one other Dragon to have sex with" he said, sitting up to look directly at me once more, "That is their mate" he added, serious tone in his voice that sounded almost foreign to him; it struck something deep inside of me.

"Mate…" I breathed, realisation making its own slow march through my consciousness. "You mean that… you can only have sex with…" I pieced it together.

Natsu nodded, his gaze sweeping away to avoid my own. "We can only have it with one. I wanted to see how you felt about sex, that was my plan, but then… you seemed so willing that I felt like…" Natsu stopped. I felt suddenly very sorry for him, realising only now that Natsu had avoided facing me with his feelings for all this time because he did know how to tell me about this. _And now he has…_

"Natsu…" I said, drawing the Dragon Slayer's attention back to me, "I don't care if you don't want to mate yet, that's your choice, but can you please tell me just one thing?" I asked. Natsu cocked his head, wanting me to ask him this. "Why did you think me learning this would stop me from wanting to be with you?"

The pink haired man seemed stunned. _He's cute when he's confused, but he's hot when he's all adorable like that_ I thought with a smile. Natsu saw me smile and then returned it.

"I guess I'm an idiot. I wanted to tell you before the meeting, but then… I just didn't find the right time, what with Blake's injuries and stuff…" he said, with a little laugh. I nodded to him.

"Yeah, you are, you shoulda told me sooner" I replied.

 **Chapter 12 End**

 **Next Chapter; My feelings**


	13. Chapter 13 - My Feelings

**Chapter 13 – My Feelings**

 **Natsu POV**

"I guess I'm an idiot. I wanted to tell you before the meeting, but then… I just didn't find the right time, what with Blake's injuries and stuff…" I said, laughing a little to cover my nervousness. Gray smiled.

"Yeah, you are, you shoulda told me sooner" he replied, voice calm and unwavering. I smiled a little broader.

"Alright then, I will tell you stuff quicker and stop keeping stuff hidden" I said. Gray nodded.

"Good, I'd hope you would, now come here" he said, before embracing me. I was a little surprised by his reaction, but then he pulled off and kissed me. "Now… there isn't anything else you're hiding, is there?" he asked. I shook my head, avoiding hitting Grays face by accident in the process.

"No. It was only… that" I said. He nodded.

"That's great, because I like you too much for you to scare me off with one silly little thing" Gray said, "I want to have a relationship with you Natsu, but I don't want you to _ever_ feel uncomfortable, so if you have to tell me something just come out and say it" he added. I nodded once more, relaxing a little as we held each other close, the trees and bushes around the area keeping us hidden from prying eyes.

"Yeah, okay… I guess I was just afraid to scare you off by talking about stuff like that so soon after us getting together" I said. Gray smiled.

"Well it has been a couple of weeks" he said, "I wouldn't mind getting more serious"

"Serious enough that it's permanent?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Gray chuckled.

"Okay, guess not _that_ serious yet, but… I don't know, for you… maybe" he replied, before going in for another quick kiss. I kissed him back, a feeling of elation taking over me at hearing Gray so calm despite what I'd told him.

When we pulled away I couldn't stop grinning. "I don't think I'm ready for it yet either" I admitted. Gray nodded.

"As I said before, it's okay, we need to take some time with this, right?" he replied. I ran my hand up his back and breathed out steadily.

"Yeah, we should take our time" I agreed. Gray smiled before pulling me to my feet.

"Glad you agree with me for once, however… speaking of time we haven't got much left before that meeting or whatever with Walter" he said, leading me to the edge of the wooded area. I happily followed, enjoying being led by the hand, although knowing it wouldn't last longer than it would take us to leave this area. "I just wanna go home for a minute and get some stuff before we go to the guild, coming with me?" he asked as we marched through trees. I nodded.

"Of course, I don't want to spend any time away from you, snowflake" I replied. Gray laughed before giving me one last fleeting kiss.

"Same for me, pyro" he said, before we both stepped out onto the park, moving in the direction of Gray's apartment once more. _I guess Gray likes me enough to accept this… although… I still haven't showed him my treasure, but I guess since we're not mating yet that doesn't matter._

/

We arrived at Gray's apartment after a short walk through Magnolia. As soon as Gray went to unlock his front door, me leaning against the wall opposite we heard a cry from a small distance away. "Hey Natsu! Gray!".

Lucy bounded up to us. "Damn, what is it with people showing up on my doorstep" Gray muttered as the blonde stopped in front of us.

"Sorry…" she huffed, "But I waited here for like… five minutes, when you didn't show I was going to go look for you, then as soon as I turn my back you two show up" she explained. I grinned at Gray.

"We were just off training in the park, what do you want Lucy?" I asked. She looked to me as Gray unlocked his door.

"I'm just gonna get some stuff, then we can go to the guild" Gray shouted to both of us as he entered his apartment.

"Hurry, Erza sent me" she shouted back, "She wants us there ASAP"

I winced, the thought of the angry redhead terrifying me. "So… sorry for making you wait I guess" I apologised to Lucy, who held her hands up.

"It's fine Natsu, at least you and Gray were using your time usefully, instead of arguing or fighting, right?" she said. I smirked, amused that everyone only ever thought about us arguing despite what was _actually_ going on. "Oh, and by the way" she began, "did one of you hurt your leg or something?" she asked. I furrowed my brows.

"Why would you think that? We're both fine" I asked, confused. She shrugged.

"When you two were walking before you seemed very close to each other, I though one of you might have been supporting the other because you were injured" she answered honestly.

I involuntarily inhaled, a little fear rising within me. "Oh… no, I didn't think we were walking that close, we were just walking and talking" I said quickly. Lucy shrugged again.

"Sorry, it just looked like that from where I was, you're probably right, I guess you might have been a bit behind Gray now that I think about it" Lucy debated as Gray reemerged from his apartment, locking the door behind him.

"Sorry about making you wait Lucy, if Erza's wanting us though we better get moving" Gray said quickly. Lucy smiled and nodded as we all set off down towards the guild. "What were you two talking about?"

"Oh… I just had thought one of you had injured yourselves during training or something" Lucy replied, "You looked like you were walking a bit close, but Natsu said that he didn't think you were so I guess it was just me overthinking it"

I looked to see Gray's face leap through phases; starting relaxed he had went quite withdrawn, fearful almost, at the mention of us walking together so close, but then when Lucy said she must've been mistaken he went back to relaxed, although the fear was still there a little in his eyes. I smiled friendlily and nodded to him, the sentence not needing to be spoken. _We could have been caught_. Gray nodded back, the response obvious. _Yeah, I know, we gotta be more careful._

As we walked we each took to one side of Lucy, trying to avoid anyone else guessing anything was up, the new paranoia that was forming setting us to be more careful around others, especially our guildmates. If anyone could spot when something was up it would be one of them.

/

 **Gray POV**

As Lucy explained what she and Natsu had been talking about my heart jumped with fear, only stilling when I realised Natsu would have went through the same thing and had covered for us. I noticed he was smiling at me as we walked on towards the guild, each knowing exactly what the other was thinking in that moment.

Once the guild loomed in sight I realised that we had each taken to a different side of Lucy than the other, the slight fear of being found out setting us to change our actions and be 'less obvious', although that might end up attracting more attention. As we entered the guild Mirajane smiled at us. "The Master is upstairs in Blake's room, with Walter. Erza is there too" she said. We all nodded and thanked the Take-over mage as we made our way to Blake's infirmary room.

As soon as we found it, we found Walter, grinning at us as we approached. "Good timing, we were just going to start, and catch you up when you arrived" he said. I scowled.

"I thought it was supposed to start at 1PM" I stated. Walter shrugged.

"Seems Erza wanted it to start _just_ before then, and I'm more inclined to argue with you than her" he said with a cocky smile as we followed him inside. He closed the door and then looked to all of us. I sat with Natsu on the other bed opposite Blake's. There was a total of three beds in this room and two cupboards, Makarov sat on one, whilst Erza leaned against the wall next to the nearest cupboard to him. Blake sat up on his own bed, face showing no pain, and hardly any discomfort, even though he was still wrapped in slightly blood stained bandages. He did seem to be better than he was yesterday. _Probably a mixture of that weird healing spell they did, and Wendy's magic. And I suppose he is a demon too_ I thought unsurprised.

"Right, now that everyone's here we can begin" Makarov announced. Lucy nodded, her gaze sweeping over the injured wizard before responding.

"Yeah, okay. I know we're supposed to be on 'look out', but what do we actually have to do?" she asked, directing this more to Walter than Gramps.

Walter smiled. "Well, as look out's you've just gotta keep an eye out for those remaining of the twelve. They have a pretty big magical presence so they shouldn't be too hard to spot, although some can mask their presence quite well. If you suspect that someone is one of them, tell either one of us, or at least enlist the help of someone you know, even if they don't know about the twelve. In short; do not engage them alone. If you ask them this question they'll probably reveal themselves; What is your nightmare?" he explained.

Erza cocked her head. "Why would that question in particular get them to reveal themselves?" the redhead asked bluntly.

Walter shook his head. "Remember when I said info is 'need to know', well… this is too. They'll tell you which nightmare they are, and that'll often give you a hint to their abilities as well. Oh… but if they say one of three responses run as far and as fast as you can" he said, eyes turning serious. "If they are Joy, Sorrow, or Anger then you _must_ try to escape, do not engage them at any cost. Those three could wipe out a continent" he added, voice cold and stony.

Natsu's ears seemed to prick up at hearing this, his eyes brimming with an inner light and swirling with a roaring inferno. "They're strong then?" he asked, excitement in his voice. Walter glared at him, a little anger in his eyes that made even Natsu twitch uncomfortably. Only Erza had that effect on him normally.

"They aren't one of the twelve. Those three are their own separate level" he said flatly. Makarov furrowed his brows hearing this before speaking.

"There are more than twelve?" he asked, a voice of concern.

I was intrigued as well. Interested and terrified that Walter would become so extreme just talking about them. Cyrus was the one who spoke, however. "Yes. In total there are sixteen in the group. Although you are not permitted to more than is necessary you may be made aware that in total the group numbers sixteen; their Leader, his three generals, they are the ones of which Walter is warning you, and the twelve subordinates. We know the leader and the generals well and have fought them a number of times. It never ended well" the Script mage explained. I shrugged.

"There was only three of you, surely with more of us we could beat 'em" I said, tone confident, although really I was afraid of how serious both Cyrus and Walter sounded.

Walter shook his head. "The last time we fought them it was only two of the generals and _we_ were beaten half way to hell when there was us _and_ about seventy hired mercenary wizards. That is how powerful they are, even if all of the wizards assembled for the meeting fought, even with both Jura and Makarov, two powerful Wizard Saints, we would not stand a chance. Your best bet is just to run and try to survive, warn as many as you can" the Requip mage said solemnly. After he finished speaking an air of dread filled the room, silence from all of us building it up.

It took a few minutes before anyone spoke again. "So there are still how many targets out there?" Natsu asked. Walter looked to Cyrus, who quickly closed his eyes.

"There is a total of… eight remaining. The two defeated with Fairy Tail's help, which you know about already, as well as a further two we have defeated at differing points in the past. There is also the possibility they have passed their powers on, so more may be out there" the brunette said flatly before opening his eyes. Walter looked at us, all of us questioning him silently.

"Yeah… about defeating them in three months…" he started, "The powers of the leader and a select two in his repertoire, namely Hope and Joy, can pass on the 'Nightmare' to new bodies so they can sort of be resurrected, although not continuously. It takes a while so I don't think any should be back for a little bit" Walter added, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, so we know their powers and numbers, is there anything else?" Makarov asked. Walter shook his head.

"Not really, although we have thought of a nickname for that new one which attacked Blake. Think we might call it Beastie, or maybe Chameleon" he said with a smile. Makarov shook his head despairingly.

"So nothing important then, guess that means we can go about our daily business" he said, getting up. Walter nodded.

"Yep, although it might be best if we try to save face and not give away anything. We don't want a panic on our hands, right?" he said, earning a nod of agreement from Makarov. Me and Natsu both got up to leave with Erza and Lucy, however Walter put his arm in front of us. Erza looked suspiciously at us before Walter shook his head. "I just want to have a quick chat with these two, the rest of you are free as I said" he explained, causing everyone to shrug or just continue moving on out of the room.

"See you two later, okay?" Lucy said. We nodded, although that was more just show; we would both rather not see _anyone_ but each other, now or later.

Once everyone was gone Walter's smile disappeared. "What did you want to talk to us specifically about?" I asked him with an apprehensive tone. He came to stand beside Blake's bed, Cyrus on the other side.

"It's about you two" he said.

"We have another thing that we neglected to tell the others, primarily because of your… _situation_ " Cyrus added. We looked to them confusedly.

"You mean… about us?" Natsu asked, "Our relationship?" Cyrus nodded.

"All three of us are aware of you two being together, however it seems that others are showing an interest as well" he said, before gesturing to Blake. "During Blake's attack something was said that we feel must be told to you, just so you are aware" the Script mage said, without much emotion in his voice, let alone any real concern.

Blake nodded to us, before raising the light pen he seemed to have been given.

DURING THE ATTACK THE CRETURE CONSTANTLY REPEATED 'NIGHTMARE', JUST LIKE I SAID. HOWEVER, IT ALSO SAID 'RETURN THE POWER. RETURN THE NIGHTMARE.'

He wrote. I read it then looked at Natsu, who wore a puzzled expression on his face. "What do you mean by that?" I asked Blake carefully. Cyrus scratched the side of his head a little.

"According to Blake there was more than just the creature at the attack site; hiding in the shadows he believes there were two others. If that is true then this was not an isolated, random, attack, but rather a planned, well thought out scheme. Although he could not be absolutely sure we believe this poses a threat because they are after _you_ " the Script mage explained. I cocked my head.

"Us?" I asked. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, you. Or more accurately; Natsu" he corrected. I looked back to Natsu, wrapping my arm instinctively around him.

"What do you mean by _that_?" I asked, a little growl in my voice that I had not intended but was still thankful for. I noticed Natsu seemed to slide a little closer to me too.

Cyrus held up his hands. "It's just an assumption" he began, before Walter took over.

"We are aware that it is possible to store power in things. It has also been known that the twelve can be resurrected from fragments of power. Cyrus calculated that it is most likely that the three in this attack are after any remnant power remaining in Natsu's body from the time he was assaulted by the Succubus" Walter explained quickly. My eyes went wide in realisation.

"I won't let them take Natsu, not again" I blurted out uncontrollably. Walter smiled confidently.

"I know you won't, that's what I'm counting on. It will make it much more difficult for them to capture Natsu if you're always around him, although…" Walter paused. Natsu glared at him.

"What is it?" he barked out, obviously a little anxious from this news. I glanced at him before continuing to observe the three by the bed opposite us.

"Well… it is likely, very likely, that they may attempt to capture Gray in order to get to you, Natsu" Walter said, voice growing shallow and quiet.

I absorbed this and took a steadying breath before looking back to Natsu. I was immediately surprised to see him glaring fiercely at the trio, fire dancing in his eyes as he clutched me closer. "I won't let them take Gray, or me. I would fight them _all_ and _win_ should they even try" he declared boldly. Cyrus shook his head.

"If there really is three, and they could do _this_ to Blake, how much damage do you think they'd do _you_? Blake's hardly human, has advanced healing and defensive spells, and can take out a small army single-handedly. You would be outclassed and quickly outgunned" the brunette Script mage stated flatly. "I suggest you keep calm, try to act normal, but also keep an eye out for any danger and _run_ should they come for you". Walter sighed.

"Cyrus, nice idea, not gonna happen" he stated, before looking straight at Natsu. "Although… you really should do what he says, running is an option in most situations, you don't always need to use your fists" he added.

I didn't need to look at Natsu's arms to know they were bunched in fists; however, I could see the anger in his eyes. "I won't run; I won't abandon Gray" he retorted. I pulled him even closer to me, so that he was practically on my lap, before deciding to finally voice my opinion.

"Natsu, I'd be okay, you gotta keep safe" I said, earning a scolding look from Natsu, which softened quickly.

"Gray" he said, "I'll keep you safe"

"I know" I said, "But I want you to keep yourself safe first" I added.

Natsu shook his head. "You charged into an enemy base to rescue me, I'd do the exact same if they took you" the Fire Dragon Slayer stated.

I shook my head more vigorously. "At that time they weren't after me, and now they _are_ after you, so please be careful" I asked him. I heard Walter mutter something, but ignored it as Natsu continued to focus his gaze on me.

"But-" he began, before I gave him a slightly more adamant glare, causing his eyes to harden to. "Okay, I'll be careful" he said at last. I heard the sigh from Walter, before kissing Natsu fleetingly.

"Good, I hope you'll remember that" I stated, before looking to Walter. "Is there anything else to tell us, there isn't some giant rampaging beast after us, or some high class assassin?"

Walter smirked and shook his head. "Not unless they've increased the bounty on your head, no" he replied sarcastically. I shook my head and got up, Natsu's arm remaining around my waist.

"I had a bounty to begin with?" I asked, moving to leave. Walter shrugged.

"Maybe" he said.

"Twelve thousand, five hundred jewel for your head alone, about fifty thousand for you alive. Same, roughly, for Natsu" Cyrus chirped up before we left. I heard Walter mutter in surprise before me and Natsu left laughing.

"That's hardly anything" Natsu shouted, "We'd get better pay for doing some real jobs"

I laughed in agreement. "Yeah, shame though, we coulda turned each other in for the money and then busted each other out afterwards" I said. Natsu smirked.

"I thought we just agreed to be careful" he said, I nodded.

"So you remember your promise then" I stated, before kissing him on the cheek and removing myself from around him. "Come on, I wanna get something to eat and then go home" I said to him a moment later.

/

 **General POV**

As soon as Natsu and Gray left Walter let out a big sigh, jumping down to lay on the very bed they had just been sitting on. "Well… looks like they're still as annoyingly confident as ever" he stated. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, but they are necessary for our plans" the brunette replied, glancing over Blake's increasingly healed wounds.

Blake shook his head and made a few hand signs. _We needed to lie to them, but it's bad that we spend so much time trying to fit in_ he signed. Walter looked up and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is" he agreed. "Still… we sort of got the result we wanted, and then some"

Cyrus muttered something inaudible, before replying. "Our original plan was to have Blake have _one_ injury and then pretend like he'd been attacked to force the guilds hands, not have him becoming completely incapacitated and bring more problems to our feet which he cannot help us deal with right now" the Script mage argued. Walter laughed a little.

"I suppose our original plan did seem a lot easier…" he said, before swing his feet over the edge to a standing position, "However at least we can say that we united those guilds. _And_ we've got a few more nightmares to come to us, rather than track 'em down ourselves" the Requip mage said. Blake nodded, _We've gotten a few more targets than anticipated though, now they're not just after us, but those two as well_ he signed out.

Cyrus nodded. "Getting more people involved will not help us out in the long term, not with what we're going to have to do… eventually" he said flatly, eyes becoming withdrawn. Walter shrugged.

"We can't turn back time, but you seem to think that us dying should be something that only we know about, I prefer it if there are a few people who really know us before we pop" he said. Blake sighed.

 _You're just compensating for the past, you're lost relationship makes you feel the need to get involved in others affairs. Digit is right about us; it will be better for everyone later if we do not allow them to grow too attached to us_ the Dark Elixir mage signed. Walter shook his head.

"I refuse to be forgotten, even if you don't mind I will never be, cannot be… if we're all dead and gone then nothing of our Master's legacy, or of our deeds, will remain, and it will have all be for naught" the dark haired wizard said. Cyrus tutted.

"If only Function could see you now, refusing to die. He'd say you're weak" he said bluntly, raising a daring eyebrow. Walter shrugged once more.

"Probably, but it's been too long since I've spoken to him that I don't remember his voice" the Requip mage countered, "I don't have an infinite memory like you".

Blake and Cyrus laughed. "You can lie to yourself, but not us. You'll never forget his voice" Cyrus stated. Blake nodded in agreement.

 _You loved him too much for that_ he signed, making Walter pout, annoyed.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We returned to Gray's apartment at around 2:30 PM. Gray unlocked the door, as we fell inside, a companionable silence surrounding us. I jumped down onto Gray's sofa, the Ice mage wandering off to his kitchen area. "Do you want anything to drink?" he called out.

"No, I'm fine. We just ate after all" I replied. I heard Gray laugh.

"When has that ever stopped you from eating or drinking anything, Natsu" he said, smiling as he came to sit down beside me. I reciprocated his smile, a little laughter playing out as I nodded in agreement.

"I suppose you're right" I said, before brushing my hand up his front.

He shook his head and put his drink down on the table beside the sofa. "You suppose?" he replied, before taking my hand off of him, instead opting to pull me closer to him on the seat.

"Fine. You're right" I stated, rolling my eyes. Gray chuckled. "What's so funny?" I accused, raising my eyebrows. He brushed a hand through my hair.

"Nothing much, it's just I don't think I've _ever_ heard you say I'm right about anything before" he laughed. I sighed.

"That's because if I ever did you woulda acted like a jerk, making fun of me or something" I replied, a little mocking in my tone. Gray nodded.

"Probably. Does that mean you think I won't mock you now, fire ball?" he questioned. I shook my head.

"It means I know you won't mock me too much, because I can do stuff now to shut you up that I couldn't before" I replied. Gray gave me a mildly puzzled look, his dark blue eyes trying to work out what I implied. As soon as the grin formed on his face I think he'd figured it out.

"You mean… you could keep me quiet, alright then" he muttered, before his eyes glittered, daring me, "Dragon Princess" he added. I smirked before pulling him close, so our faces were almost pressed together.

"I told you I can keep you quiet" I said, before kissing Gray. Gray wrapped his arms around my waist as he flicked his tounge out, allowing me to enter his mouth. It was not the first time we had become more passionate in our kisses, however every time he allowed me to enter his mouth I felt a growing elation building up from my stomach. We kissed until the need to breath forced us apart. "See" I said, breathing in deeply. Gray nodded, my hands snaking up to thread themselves in his hair.

"Yeah, I see. But don't forget I can do the same to you as well" he replied. I smiled, taking in a few breaths before moving to be a little farther apart from Gray, taking in his full form beside me. I rested my head on Gray's shoulder, sighing comfortably.

"I know you can, but I bet I'll always be the one to take control" I said, a small challenged directed in my voice. Gray chuckled slightly.

"I'll see about that" he answered, before growing a little quiet for a few moments. "Er… Natsu, can I ask you something?" he said cautiously. I looked up to see him giving me a questioning glance.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked, confused by Gray's cautious tone.

"I was wondering if you would _want_ me to take control" he said, glancing away momentarily. I smiled calmly.

"If I didn't I wouldn't have challenged you" I said, before moving to kiss Gray's cheek, "But as I said, I'm not going to give it up _that_ easily" I added. Gray nodded.

"Okay… I just wanted to know" he said coolly. I rested my head back on his shoulder.

"If you really want to do something, just tell me, I probably wouldn't get upset, and I might even _want_ to" I stated. I felt Gray rest his cheek on my head.

"I know. I just like to check with you first" he replied. We went quiet again for a moment, before I responded.

"Is that… because I didn't tell you about the whole mating thing right away?" I asked him, the thought occurring to me.

I felt Gray's breathing hitch slightly. "No" he said flatly. Once more I sat up, looking at Gray intently.

"Are you sure?" I asked, eying Gray up carefully. After a moment Gray hung his head.

"Okay, maybe I do just a little. It's just… when you told me that I was happy that you said it, but then it made me realise that there might be other stuff you wouldn't want us to do, or something" the dark haired wizard said. I sighed and pulled Gray in close.

"Don't worry, if there was anything else I would tell you, but there isn't" I replied.

"Are you really sure, because I don't want to have more stuff sprung on me Natsu. I like you too much to have it scare me off but… when I think you might be hiding something I feel like…" Gray stopped. I furrowed my brows, giving him a questioning look

"You feel like what, Gray?" I asked, trying to piece together what the Ice mage was implying. Gray took a breath before responding.

"I feel like you might not have as strong feelings as I do for you" he said. My eyes widened with surprise before I involuntarily kissed Gray. The Ice Make wizard seemed surprised, before we pulled apart once more.

"I never want you to feel like that. I honestly don't have anything to hide from you, besides that" I said quickly.

"But how can you prove that, even back in the infirmary room you were more ready to go head first into danger than consider how I felt about you charging in" Gray replied bluntly. I shook my head.

"I promised you that I'd be careful, do you think I'll break that promise?" I asked him. Gray sighed and shook his head.

"No, I know you'll keep it" he said. I nodded.

"I will, and you know I will, so… how about I make another promise to go with that one?" I asked. Gray looked at me curiously. "I promise to keep you, and myself safe. I also promise to tell you the truth about everything, okay?" I said. Gray's vision clouded in thought for a moment before responding.

"Okay. But will you really be okay if they attack you?" Gray pushed one last time. I nodded.

"Of course I will. I like to fight, you know that, but I _always_ win when they threaten anyone" I replied cockily. Gray smiled and pulled me in close once more.

"That's good, but remember that you've gotta keep yourself safe for me, because that's what you promised me" he said, before kissing me fleetingly. I kissed him back before replying.

"I made a promise so I will. I like you Gray, and please don't think I ever don't, because I have for a while now" I said. Gray nodded.

"I like you too, Natsu" he said, before kissing me once more. A thought occurred to me as we kissed; _Why can't I just say I love him?_ Once Gray pulled away I smiled.

"How about we do some more _training_ right here in the apartment?" I asked him.

"You're on, what first, magic or physical stuff" he said mockingly. I laughed and lay back on the sofa, pulling him down on top of me.

"That wasn't what I meant" I said, before we kissed once more.

 **Chapter 13 End**

 **Next Chapter; A Little Reward**


	14. Chapter 14 - A Little Reward

**Chapter 14 – A Little Reward**

 **General POV**

Blake wandered through the guild's halls. It had been a week since the meeting and he had fully recovered, almost. There was still a little pain in his leg where it had been slashed by that damned creature, however nothing he could complain about directly. He heard a loud muttering from one of the rooms they were using; it was Walter. The dark haired Requip mage was muttering loudly as he paced up and down the makeshift office he had been allowed to have by the guild's Master. "That's no good" he said, before stopping mid-step, the pen he was holding in his hand hovered above the notepad he was also holding. "Something you need?" he inquired to me. I shook my head. _Digit was looking for you but I have nothing I need in particular_ Blake signed. Although he'd been using these special hand signs he and the others had made up for years he could not figure out how to spell out Cyrus, so he stuck to Digit whenever he had to refer to his companion. Walter's vision was still clouded with thought so it took him a moment to respond. "Alright, I'll send for Cyrus in a minute" he stated, before going back to his pacing. Blake wandered over to one of the chairs placed against the nearest wall and sat down, rubbing his thigh through his trouser clothes. Walter had stopped once more to observe him. "Still aching, eh?" he stated with a smile. Blake shrugged. _Not as bad as that time that rose-monster thing attacked and I had to suffer its thorny vines being coiled around each leg just so you could charge in against it_ the other wizard replied silently, a slight smile playing at his lips as he recalled the event. Walter chuckled. "Yeah, that was a fun mission" he commented, "But unlike those little cuts that one was nasty deep, are you sure you should be walking on it?"

Blake nodded, just as Cyrus entered the room. The brunette shook his head, frustrated. "Walter, you're damnable to find when you're off in your own little world. I bet you haven't even done a thing, just being spying on Natsu and Gray again" he accused upon entering. Walter took in a dramatic breath.

"I'm glad you think so highly of me, Cyrus, you're brave, noble and _handsome_ leader" Walter joked. Cyrus glared at him. "Okay, okay…" Walter said quickly, "I really was doing work, though".

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "Were you?" he asked, mock surprise in his tone. Walter sighed before Cyrus went over to inspect Blake.

"I was planning a little something" Walter continued, as Cyrus half-listened to him, "I think we should use our little beach hideout and send Gray and Natsu there for a week or something" he explained. Cyrus shook his head.

"I thought I said that spying on them doesn't count as work" the Script mage stated, causing Blake to snigger slightly. "What purpose would there be sending them there?"

Walter grinned wickedly. "A trap always needs some tasty bait" he stated, making Cyrus glance up at him, before Walter continued to explain his plan in greater detail.

/

 **Natsu POV**

"Are you sure we can't do it again?" I whined, running my hands through my salmon pink hair in frustration.

"Yes, we've already been on two dates this week" Gray replied, "If we go on any more people might start to get suspicious". I pouted, annoyed at Gray's refusals. We had been spending as much time as possible together since being told that we had to stay in Magnolia, taking it to our advantage we went to multiple restaurants, and slept over at each other's places, however I always felt like I needed more time with him, and it annoyed me even more when he refused.

"But how about something _really_ discrete?" I tried, unsuccessfully.

"I said no, Natsu" Gray said, dragging us both to the side of a building, where no one could see us. I opened my mouth to speak again, however I was quickly pressed against the building, Gray on top of me with his lips pressed to mine. I allowed him to kiss me, although I still was adamant about us going somewhere. When Gray pulled away he had a large smile on his face. "I know you want to spend as much time together as we can, however… we both agreed to keep it quiet about us until we felt comfortable telling people, and with everyone expecting us to argue and fight all the time we can't keep hanging out in public places in case people get suspicious" Gray stated, voice calmer. I sighed and wrapped one arm around his mid-section, the other snaking up to root itself in his dark strands.

"I know, but I feel like we never are spending enough time together…" I sighed, "I always want more time with you… to do more with you" I added. Gray chuckled.

"I feel the same about you, you idiot, but as I said, gotta keep it quiet" he replied. "Unless you're not worried about people finding out?"

I shrugged a little with my shoulders. "I guess… to be honest I don't really care if people know, I would beat the crap outta anyone who'd try anything anyways so it's not like I'm afraid of what people would do" I admitted. Gray raised an eyebrow, his gaze glittering with a mixture of emotions.

"That's really how you feel?" he inquired, eyes searching through my own. I allowed fire to rise in my own vision.

"Yeah, I only keep quiet 'cause I don't want to upset you" I admitted once more. Gray smiled broader.

"That's actually pretty cute Natsu, but…" he trailed off. I stroked the back of his head, hands trailing haphazardly through his dark hair.

"But what? You don't want to tell people yet? That's fine, I just said I don't care so you just take all the time you want" I stated. _Plus, if you wait a little longer I wouldn't mind making you my mate in secret_ I thought, the idea of us sneaking around and being all private about sex making me feel oddly hot.

Gray shook his head. "It's not that I don't want people to know… but…" he let out a breath, "I feel like it should be more serious before we tell people" he stated. I sucked in a breath, realising that Gray must have thought something similar to me. _Now I feel bad for telling him about mating…_ I thought sullenly, before my eyes went wide, _Does he mean he wouldn't tell people until we're mates?! What if he doesn't want to mate with me?!_

I shook my head to remove those thoughts quickly. _Gray's already said he might be my mate, I've just gotta give him time._ "I don't want you to feel pressured, and I know I told you about the whole 'mates' stuff, but if you don't want to be my mate it doesn't mean we can't tell people. If you really want to that is" I said. Gray looked at me intently for a moment before speaking.

"Natsu… I don't care about the mates thing, I honestly don't mind being it with _you_ , like I said before, but… I just think we need to make sure this is a 'sure thing' before we go telling people because… if we did break up, for whatever reason, I don't want people to keep looking at us funny and neither of us have anyone else to support them through their problems" Gray said quietly. I smiled and used my grip on his waist to pull him closer, so our chests were pressed right up against each other. Then I kissed Gray warmly.

"I don't care if people treated me differently, but I don't think our guild's like that anyways… I do think that if people treated _you_ badly, even if we split up, I would still go over to them and beat the crap out of them, but only after you were done beating them up first" I grinned. Gray smiled and then kissed me fleetingly.

"I suppose you're right there, we would both be fine really… but I still feel like we should keep this quiet for now" Gray said. I sighed and nodded.

"I guessed you would, now let's get back on track, we were going to the forest so we can train, right?" I smiled, giving Gray a little kiss on the cheek before wriggling out from under him. He stood motionless for a moment, obviously thinking about something, before nodding over to me and we both set off towards the forest once more.

/

After a few moments we stopped our fast paced walking, a hulking shadow blocking our path. "There you are" the block boomed, "A real man doesn't hide when people are trying to find 'em" It was Elfman. I smiled up at the large Take-over mage as Gray, who was a couple of steps behind me, caught up.

"Hey Elfman" I said, Gray coming to stand beside me, "What're you looking for us for?"

"We were told to tell you two to go to the guild when you have time" another, softer, voice said from beside the giant of a man.

"Hey Lisanna" Gray stated friendlily. The white haired girl smiled brightly.

"I thought you said something about training when you were at the guild earlier so when you weren't outside I figured I'd find you out in the woods" she said. I nodded to her pleasantly.

"Yeah, we we're headed there now to blow off a little steam, it's so boring being confined to the guild" I said. She gave me a questioning glance.

"Oh yeah… I've been meaning to ask about that" she started, before Gray jumped in.

"We can't tell you why we're stuck here" he said flatly. Lisanna pouted.

"Oh come on I'm suuuure you can" she said, giving me a sly wink. I shook my head; I could feel the slight tensions rising from Gray. _Damn he's so protective, does he just see EVERYONE as a rival or something?_ I thought despairingly.

"I'm afraid we can't Lisanna" I said, "Now was there any reason we had to go to the guild?" I added, folding my arms. Gray had gone a little too quiet for my liking, and Elfman seemed to just remain motionless, allowing his little sister to do the talking.

"Fine, you're so mean Natsu. Walter asked a few of us to tell you that he wants to speak with you two, but he didn't say it was urgent, so you can go when you want" Lisanna conveyed. I nodded upon hearing her message, before looking at Gray.

"Thanks Lisanna, wanna go now Gray?" I asked the Ice wizard. He looked to me, I could see he had been lost in thought.

"Yeah… I guess…" he said semi-lucidly. I groaned before turning on my heal and waving back to the two Strauss siblings. _Gray's gonna be all protective again_ I thought.

"See you later" I called, grabbing Gray to make sure he kept up with me. Once the two were out of sight we began to whisper to each other.

"She can be so annoying" Gray whispered to me. _Yep, here he goes again_.

"But she's nice" I replied flatly. Gray looked to me, before looking down at the ground.

"I know you don't like it but… I get jealous, okay" he admitted. I discreetly leaned in a kissed his cheek, withdrawing rapidly.

"I know you do, but as I've said before, you don't need to worry; you're my only interest" I stated. _Dragon's and Dragon Slayer's can only have one mate after all, so they can't be interested in more than one person_ I thought. It was something I had always meant to tell him, hoping that it would stop all his jealousy, however I had never said it yet. _And I've not said I love him yet, either_ I added mentally.

Gray smiled contently at me as we walked. "I'm sorry" he said, "You're my only interest too"

 _If he only said he loves me I could say it back and this whole thing would be so much easier_ I thought as we continued on towards the guild.

/

As soon as the guild came into view we were met with a loud call. "Hiya you two!" Walter shouted to us. The dark haired Requip mage was leaning against the doors to the guild hall, a ridiculous grin plastered onto his face. He ruffled his hair as we approached, so that dark blue-black strands stood out at angles, reminiscent of my own spikey hair. I waved to him, Gray mumbling something about him being 'too loud'. "Hey Walter" I shouted cheerfully, in contrast to my companion.

We walked up to Walter, who stood with his dark blue suit open at the front and his hands in his pockets, now a little farther away from the guild entrance. "We got told by Lisanna that you wanted to speak to us" Gray said bluntly.

Walter nodded, unperturbed by Gray's flat, unwelcome tone. "Awww… is someone annoyed" he joked, earning a glare from Gray and a slight smile from me, "Did I interrupt you doing _something_?" he then added, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I couldn't help myself and guffawed a little at his antics. Gray's glare swung from me to Walter and back quickly, a pout forming on his lips. Walter laughed at his reaction.

"Shut up and just tell us what you had to say" Gray said coldly. I wrapped an arm around my boyfriend and brought my head to his ear.

"Oh come on Gray, lighten up. You don't have to be so cold hearted just because you're an ice wizard" I whispered, making sure Walter could still hear. The Requip mage grinned and nodded.

"He's right" he commented, as I uncurled my arm from around Gray, who was now pouting with his arms crossed, an angry look in his eyes. _He's such a moody idiot sometimes_ I thought _not that I can really complain_ … I added, memories of all the little arguments, and angry moments I had filling my mind momentarily. Walter seemed to give us a minute to stop smiling before he spoke again. "Seriously though, is everything alright between you two?" he inquired, a little interest in his voice, although maybe more than he should really have.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's just Ice Princess here getting pissed off about nothing" I commented, grinning some more as Gray punched me hard in the arm.

"Be quiet, matchstick" he said flatly, "Why are you so interested in our relationship?" he added a moment later, directing this at Walter.

Walter shrugged, "Guess I'm just amused by you two" he said casually, "But anyways, how are you finding the time in Magnolia?" he asked. I once more wrapped an arm around Gray's shoulder, only to have the Ice mage try to shrug me off.

"It's been great, mostly… although it is boring not being able to fight anything" I answered honestly. "We were going to do some fight training in the forest to amuse ourselves, but then you called us here."

"Sorry about that, although really, _just_ training, you're suuuure there's nothing _better_ for you two to be doing?" Walter said, voice accusing. I shook my head.

"Not that" I said bluntly. I felt Gray shift next to me, obviously uncomfortable about talking about _that_ when we both knew what it meant. Walter seemed to notice too and he quickly changed topics.

"Oh… right…" he began, "It's just… I was going to ask if you wanted a little… _reward_ … for your efforts" he said carefully, emphasizing the word. I looked at him skeptically, his scent told me he was hiding something.

"What reward?" Gray accused, obviously aware that Walter was hiding something too.

Walter rummaged around in his pocket for a moment before producing two scraps of paper. They were small, with a tiny beach drawing on them and the words SUPER COOL BEACH RESORT written neatly in bold. "I was gonna give you these" he said, "They're tickets for a little beach trip I thought you two might enjoy" he added. I sniffed the air as he handed them, the scent of him hiding something getting stronger.

"These aren't real" Gray replied after a quick glance over them. I thought Walter might deny the claim, however he held his hands up innocently.

"Well you're right there" he said, "The resort, or more accurately beach area, is owned by our guild. They entire place will be controlled by us so you will be safe there and I figured it might confuse anyone who tried to chase you since the entire place is protected by magic spells" the Requip mage explained.

Gray didn't seem convinced. "Why would you give these to us when we're the ones they're after?" he asked. I stood quiet, the idea of being on a beach alone with Gray making me dumbstruck. _Now I know how Juvia must feel_ … The thought disturbed me.

Walter pointed at him, chuckling. "It's because they're after you that I wanna send you. As I said the place is protected, if anyone say… tried to follow you as you left they'd be tricked by the spells and would _never_ find the hide away. So it should confuse our enemy plus…" he leaned in, "I figured no one wants to have a beach to themselves more that _you two_ " he smirked. My own face was smiling, I knew, but soon Gray echoed that smile.

"Come on Gray, it'll be so good" I burst out, causing the Ice mage to startle.

"Natsu, not so loud" he mumbled, his own smile growing to encompass most of his face. _He can't deny it_ I thought victoriously. Walter seemed to think so too.

"Makarov's already gave his permission, and you may leave tomorrow" he said. I looked to Gray hopefully.

"Wanna go pack?" I asked him, the idea of Gray in just trunks so tantalizing to me, despite already having seen him like that before on numerous times.

Walter shook his head. "I'm glad you like your reward, however… first I'd like to cover some stuff, come with me" he put his hands back in his pockets and began walking into the guild. We followed him, clutching the mock tickets he gave us carefully, neither of us wanting to give up this chance for the ultimate 'alone time'. That was, until he opened the door to his little 'office'.

/

 **Gray POV**

We each held the tickets close to our bodies, looking at each other with grins on our faces, some very _interesting_ ideas flooding our minds. I was still suspicious, however the image I had in my head of Natsu on the beach was just too good to not accept this offer. I was about to ask Walter if we required anything in particular before we entered his office, however he stopped and looked directly at us. "I can almost _hear_ the pervy thoughts running through your minds, please just calm down so I can get this over as quickly as possible" he stated before opening a nondescript door and walking inside. As soon as we entered the room we were met with two bright, smiling faces.

"Hiya you two, are you going on this beach trip too?" Lucy beamed from her place opposite the desk.

I looked on stunned, Natsu gaping beside me. "You two are coming?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, we are, Natsu, is that a problem?" Erza asked sternly. We both shook our heads carefully.

"No, ma'am" we repeated in unison. Lucy giggled as Walter took a seat in a chair on the other side of the desk.

"Right, now that I've got you _all_ here" he started, shooting us both a wicked smirk. I scowled, making sure Erza didn't see. _Damn it, he knew that we weren't getting to be alone on the beach, that bastard_ I thought angrily. "I just wanted to explain somethings about the location where you are going" Walter added. Erza nodded, prompting Walter to continue, however Lucy gave a look of confusion.

"When did you get an office?" she asked. Walter chuckled.

"Not really a relevant question but… since we're using Fairy Tail as our base of operations Makarov allowed me to use this room as an office whilst I'm here" Walter replied, "But anyways… the reason I want you to go to this 'beach resort' is it's one of our little hideouts. There are spells over it which make it impossible to see into the buildings there, and there's also a little enchantment that'll confuse anyone who doesn't already know where it is, stopping people from following you. In short; it's the perfect safe haven for you four" Walter said.

Erza nodded, obviously enjoying the sound of the beach as much as me and Natsu _had_ been. "That sounds ideal, however… why do we need to hide, I thought we we're on lookout for the guild?" the redhead asked.

Walter rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, well… about that… some new information has come to light" he said, glancing up to us. I looked to Natsu, who smiled before nodding to him. Walter smiled in understanding before returning his gaze to Erza. "After some information gathering we, that is me, Cyrus and Blake, believe that there may be a fraction of power left over in Natsu's body from his time getting assaulted by the Succubus. We also believe that in the wrong hands this could be used to resurrect her, meaning we'd have one more Nightmare to deal with" Walter explained. Lucy gasped and Erza looked on stoically.

"So you're sending us there to protect Natsu?" Erza asked bluntly. Walter nodded.

"I want to send him there as a protective measure, yes, sending you three along as body guards" the Requip mage explained further. Lucy nodded.

"Got it, so we're to protect Natsu. At least we'll also get some beach time too" she smiled turning to Natsu. Natsu pouted on his part.

"I don't really need _that_ much protecting" he muttered. Erza turned to him.

"Remember Natsu, that we have a time limit to defeat these Nightmares, so putting you somewhere safe should help that, although I hate to lose one of our best fighters, it can't be helped" Erza stated. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, flame brain, just leave it to us for now" I said coolly, earning a glare from the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Walter chuckled. "Well… whatever, you are going. I made Makarov aware of the situation as well, and he has given me his permission to do this. He will have Laxus and the Thunder Legion remain here in your stead, although they won't be informed of the reasons as you are" he said.

"Is there anything else we need to know? Like who might attack Natsu?" Lucy piped up. Walter shrugged.

"As far as the possible attackers go, we can assume it's another Nightmare, probably the same on which went after Blake, so be on your guard for physical assaults. But beyond that there is nothing" Walter stated, before knocking the side of his head, "Oh… wait… there is one more thing. The position of our base is quite useful. It's situated near both Sabertooth and Lamia scale, so Sting and Rogue will also be accompanying you, whilst Lyon and Jura are ready at their guild to assist at a moment's notice. Cyrus and Blake will be going as well" Walter added finally.

Erza and Lucy nodded, getting up out of their seats, whilst my gaze jumped straight to Natsu. After hearing that I couldn't help the feeling rising in my chest, and I could tell Natsu was thinking something similar. _Sting will be on the beach with us too_ …

/

We left the room in quiet as Lucy and Erza ran off to get things ready for tomorrow. Natsu did not speak until we left the guild. "Gray… are you feeling okay?" the pinkette asked me, warily. I smiled at him, before he led me over to the side of the guild, away from prying eyes.

"Yeah, I'm good. I know that I felt annoyed by Sting in the past but… as long as nothing happens I'm fine with him being there" I said. Natsu chuckled.

"How many times will I have to say that nothing's gonna happen before you stop being so jealous all the time?" Natsu commented. I shrugged.

"Like you can talk, how many times do I have to tell you that we can protect you before you stop trying to always be the hero?" I replied. Natsu laughed.

"Guess that's true, but seriously… Nothing's gonna happen with Sting, we can just go find some comfy, cozy, quite place where no one's gonna see us and play around in the sea, right?" he asked me. I pulled him close and kissed his cheek.

"Right. But now we gotta go get ready, Lucy and Erza may be girls, but they're right about getting ready early. Shall we each get stuff prepared and then meet up at the guild hall in… say… two hours, three?" I asked Natsu. He smiled and nodded, kissing my cheek before he dashed off.

"Three. See you later" he said, before running off home. I took another breath before making my own way. _I hope that he was right and I don't have to worry about Sting being there_ I thought as I walked. I stopped quickly as something furry landed on my shoulder.

"Hey Gray" Happy said, "Have you seen Natsu?" I looked at the exceed on my shoulder. Despite spending so much time with Natsu I had hardly seen his partner at all. _Weird I never noticed…_

"Er… I think he went home, we got some stuff to do" I said. Happy nodded.

"'Kay, guess I'll go look for him" he said. I waved him off.

"Okay, but… where have you been, haven't seen you around much" I called after him. He floated in the air for a moment.

"Since Natsu had to stay in Magnolia I went on a couple of jobs with Wendy and Carla" the blue cat replied, "Why? Did you miss my awesome pranks?"

I laughed, "Something like that, see ya" I replied, before walking off to my apartment. Another thought occurred to me now, for the first time. _If Natsu and me got serious would Happy accept it_? I thought. After another moment of thinking about it I shrugged, _He's in our guild, and they're all like family so… probably_ I answered mentally. The thought was a leading one, however, as soon I found myself running through lists of guild members, wondering if they would all really accept this. But once more I found that the response was the same, mostly. _They would all probably accept it except maybe… Juvia and Lisanna might be a bit more difficult_ I thought, unlocking my door and going inside. _But we agreed to wait before telling anyone so I don't think it'll be problem for now… the only problem for now is Sting I guess. Him, and those Nightmares…_

 **Chapter 14 End**

 **Next Chapter;** **Sun, Sand and Enemies**


	15. Chapter 15 - Sun, Sand and Enemies

**Chapter 15 – Sun, Sand and Enemies**

 **Natsu POV**

We waited outside the guildhall, it was around noon. Erza had her usual, ridiculously large, amount of luggage tied to a trailer that had been attached to the vehicle Walter had hired to take us to the beach hideout. I sat with Gray, our backs against the guild wall, we were both quiet, thinking about what we were going to do when we arrived at the place. "When's Cyrus and Blake gonna get here?" Lucy whined for the third time in the last half hour. We had all been told to arrive at eleven, and despite me and Gray each being around 15 minutes late, the blonde was even later. She had been all apologetic to both us, and the _very_ annoyed Erza who had been waiting since the appointed time, however she had become increasingly whiney as we were forced to wait for the other two. "I don't know Lucy" I answered back flatly, "Maybe someone should go look for them".

"No need" a voice said suddenly. Cyrus arrived out of the guild. "We're here now. We apologise for the lateness of our arrival, however we were awaiting instruction from Walter before we left" the Script mage explained, bowing politely. Erza nodded, a little hostility still in her eyes.

"So we are going to leave now?" she asked. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, this vehicle will be driven by me and Blake to take you to the location. Walter had set out late last night to go to Sabertooth and take Sting and Rogue. He should be there to greet us with them when we arrive, however only me and Blake are staying with you. Walter will return to continue coordinating the other guilds efforts. They are going to do a sweep search of a few possible hideouts whilst we try to keep Natsu safe, alright?" he explained as we all got into the large magic mobile. I pouted at once more being reminded that I was being taken to this place under guard, however I had given up arguing as Gray had finally lost his temper last night and told me to 'be quiet, or else I'll shut your mouth up with my ice'. I had dared to threaten him further; however, he had kissed me into submission soon after I opened my mouth.

 _Next time I'm gonna be the one on top_ I thought as I took the seat opposite Gray in the vehicle. Wendy had already cast a 'special' Troia spell to stop me hurling whilst in transit, however I still felt uneasy in the car. "You aren't feeling sick already, are ya Natsu?" Gray asked, a note of concern in his voice. I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine" I replied. Lucy shook her head.

"If you're gonna hurl tell us, I don't want your breakfast all over me" the blonde said a little selfishly. I shook my head once more.

"No, I said I'm fine" I stated. "Now, are we going yet?"

"Just gonna get it moving now" Cyrus called out distractedly, the vehicle setting into motion a minute later. "It'll take a few hours to get there so I'm going to drive for two hours, then we'll stop and Blake will take over from there" the Script mage explained.

"Ugh… two hours and then _more_ " I complained, "The spell's not gonna last that long". Lucy shrugged, whilst Erza raised her arm.

"Don't worry Natsu, I'll take care of you if it wears off" the redhead said boldly, a kind look on her face that countered the promise of violence I knew was there too. Gray grinned wickedly at me.

"Hear that, pinky, there's nothing to worry about 'cause Erza'll deal with you" the Ice mage said, earning a little laugh from Lucy.

"Oh… yay" I said unenthusiastically, before turning my attention to the window. _This is gonna be a long ride._

/

"So what's Happy doing whilst you're away?" Lucy asked me. She had been talking quietly with Erza for this first hour of the drive, however now that the Requip mage had gone to sleep, she had set her sights on me.

"Oh… well he's been going on jobs with Wendy and Carla whilst I was stuck in Magnolia, so I guess he's gonna keep doing those. He did complain about not coming with me to the beach, but he stopped when I promised to catch him some tasty exotic fish to bring back" I said casually. Gray scoffed.

"Two of a pair. You're both only interested in food and fights" the Ice mage said. I noticed he had given me a slight look as soon as Lucy had brought up Happy, so I wondered what he was thinking.

"Shut it, Ice cube" I retorted. _Did Happy do something?_

"Alright, don't start anything you two, not whilst were stuck in here" Lucy said immediately. I sighed and went back to observing the scenery. I noticed Gray turn and do the same, however he gave me another sideways look before closing his eyes to sleep the journey off. _Unless… he's worried about Happy finding out about our relationship_ I thought suddenly. _I'll have to talk to him about that… just not right now_ I decided quickly; I did not want Gray to have any worries which might upset our beach trip, especially since he already had some reservations about Sting and the others being there, particularly the White Dragon Slayer.

/

After another hour trapped in the vehicle it finally pulled to a stop beside some quite picturesque fields. "Alright, that's two hours and ten minutes, so we're stopping for lunch" Cyrus declared, hopping down to the side of the car uneasily before opening the side doors. Blake did the same for the door on me and Gray's side and once that was done we jumped out.

"Woohoo!" I yelled, my feet landing on soil and grass, "Finally. A break from that damned vehicle" I declared. I noticed Gray shaking his head as he made his way over to me.

"I see Wendy's spell hasn't worn off yet then" he observed. I nodded, as surprised as he was that motion sickness was not dragging me down.

Gray laughed, "Let's hope it stays that way". I nodded with a few hopeful thoughts in my mind, _the longer the better._

"Come on you two, Cyrus is setting up the food" Lucy called us over, waving her arm. We looked at each other and then shrugged; I wasn't one to turn down the promise of food. The area where the others were already had been laid out with a large blanket, there was a large box in the center, around which Lucy, Erza, Cyrus and Blake all sat. Cyrus nodded to us.

"Mirajane prepared us some food for the journey" he said as we each took a seat, between the two girls. We then examined the contents of the box; there was a large variety of food, from sandwiches to whole meats. I could already feel the drool when Lucy and Cyrus began taking food out.

"You can't be _that_ hungry, flame brain" Gray joked, glancing at me. I nodded.

"Sure I can" I said, "And I _am_ " Gray laughed as Lucy sighed, passing us a plate of sandwiches.

"There you go, you two. Don't fight over them" the blonde said, we thanked her and placed it in front of us. Deciding just to split the plate of food in half we each took four of the eight sandwiches for ourselves. I knew that Gray might not eat them all so I figured he'd give me what's left.

As we ate we all began asking Cyrus and Blake questions about the location we were travelling to. The duo didn't seem to eat much, and instead opted for answering any questions we had. "It's a relatively nice place. A secluded beach area that we found when we were younger. Walter likes it a lot and often goes there when we aren't on missions. I'm not too fond of sand, but I find some of the plants there interesting," the Script mage described. Blake nodded and smiled, taking the borrowed light pen and writing in the air.

WE DECIDED TO BUILD A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE. THERE IS A BUILDING FOR EACH OF US, PLUS AN EXTRA SINCE WE SOMETIMES BRING OTHERS THERE. AS SOON AS CYRUS THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING A PERMANENT RESIDENCE HE WENT MAD AND INSISTED WE NOT GET TOO ATTACHED, HOWEVER WALTER REFUSED TO GIVE THE PLACE UP, SO HE HAD CYRUS DRAW UP A LOAD OF ENCHANTMENTS AROUND THE PLACE. ITS HARDER TO GET INTO THAN THE TARTAORS' GUILDS OLD BASE. ALTHOUGH I GUESS YOU GUYS KNOW HOW DIFICULT THAT WAS BETTER THAN US, WE COULDN'T GET INSIDE.

The demonic mage wrote. I spluttered out some food as I finished reading. "You tried to get in there?!" I asked with surprise.

"Yes, top secret, but we were assigned to find out about the guild, much to no avail I'm afraid" Cyrus answered, "However that is no longer a problem thanks to your guilds hard work. I have to thank you for that" the Script mage continued.

I smiled cockily, however I was shot a look by Gray. _He doesn't like to remember those times at all_ I reminded myself. Cyrus seemed to notice our little exchange and raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet. "So is it really safe then?" Lucy asked as she finished off what she was eating.

Cyrus nodded. "Extremely so, I've reinforced the spells multiple times, so now you can't get near the area unless you already have been there, meaning you can't get there without us. It has an enclosed lagoon for a harbor and we moor a few boats there, so I've also got the waters enchanted to prevent problematic fish and other boats from entering. Any boat that passes by just sees a solid cliff face where the entrance to the harbor should be" he continued to explain. Lucy nodded, eyes showing an interest, and amazement, at the feats of this still unknown wizard sat with us.

"How's the sun there? Is it always hot?" Erza asked casually, her tone belying the fact that she still enjoyed the idea of a holiday. _She's too obvious sometimes_ I thought smugly, _at least we a bit more discrete when me and Gray heard about this._

"It is hot, however from time to time there is rain. I've made it so that rain will hit a protective dome around the buildings, which also conceals them, making them invisible to all those who manage to trespass. All in all, it's not that bad a place to stay. The only problem I have had to deal with is there are _some_ giant insects which are immune to my hiding enchantment, I think they're pretty much immune to most magic's, so Walter just crushes the lot of them if they ever get close to the camp" Cyrus said. Lucy squealed.

"Ew… not bugs" she cried out. I laughed confidently.

"Don't worry 'bout it Lucy, I'll just crush any which try to ruin our little trip" I said. _Plus, I don't want anything to ruin my time with Gray after all, especially not a panicking, screaming girl_ I added mentally, smirking.

Gray nodded alongside me. "Yeah, and I'll help" he boasted. _Damn he's hot when he's cocky_ I thought, sneakily giving Gray a grin. He leaned in a little closer to me. "Something up, Natsu?" he whispered.

"You know it's really _hot_ when you talk all cocky about beating stuff up" I said. Gray grinned.

"What about if I actually went and beat some stuff up?" he asked, voice turning a little more huskily.

"I'm not sure I'd be able to wait for mating…" I said slyly. Gray raised his eyebrows, daring me on.

"Now I really want to get there just to try that" he said. _Oh… fuck… I wasn't joking…_ I thought, before the motion of Blake and Cyrus standing drew my attention away.

"I think it's about time for us to get back on the road" Cyrus stated. Erza nodded in agreement, eyes gleaming mischievously. _Nothings stopping her from getting there now_ I thought as we tidied up the remaining food and put the blanket and box away again. I re-entered the vehicle with Gray as Lucy and Erza put all the other things away. After a few minutes of organisation Cyrus gave the signal and Blake sent the car in motion. I sunk into my seat, Gray was smiling opposite me as we both looked out the window. _This might be pretty good_ I thought happily, before a sudden lurching feeling hit me. _Oh no… not now…_

"Ergh…" I whined.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, "Face the window if you're sick"

/

 **Two painful hours later**

Cyrus said it only took us two hours to reach the forest that separated the main road from the hide out, however it might as well have been eternity. Gray and Lucy took it in shifts to sit opposite me checking I was okay. Erza had insisted she could 'deal' with me, but I refused. Thankfully Gray backed me up, more out of pity, than anything else, and the red head left me to my suffering. Cyrus retook the driving position to get us through the trees, since he was more experienced than Blake at driving magic mobiles. Despite the change in driver I felt no better, in fact it was even worse as the carriage jumped and jolted over each and every tree root. "Blurgh…" I barfed out.

"Just a little longer, okay Natsu" Lucy said in a comforting tone that helped me in no way.

"Argh… uh…"

Soon the carriage stopped, Cyrus' voice rising up. "We've arrived" he said, "There's a bit of an incline to the houses so if you could all get out now you can take your stuff to the rooms assigned, Walter is already coming up to meet us. I'll park this in the special place once you're all gone". I felt a bit of hope, or maybe it was just more vomit, rise in my throat, but at least I had help getting out. Gray wrapped his arms around and carried me out.

"Come on, out ya get" he said coolly, none of the usual annoyance in his tone. _Thanks Gray_ I said mentally, still too weak to voice it out loud. As soon I was out of the carriage I was met with two grinning face.

"Hellooooo campers" Walter beamed.

"Hey Natsu, take it the ride was as bad for you as for us" Sting said a moment later. I smiled weakly at him as I shakily stood alone, Gray going to get mine and his stuff.

"Yeah, it was alright for the first bit, since Wendy used her magic, but then…" I trailed off. Sting nodded as Rogue came to stand at his shoulder.

"At least you had the first bit alright, we were half dead for nearly three hours" Sting grinned, "But at least we're here now".

I nodded, taking a sweeping view of the area. Cyrus began setting the vehicle in motion as I stared down the small, grassy hill at the scene below. It was indeed beautiful; a picturesque harbor hidden by a forest on all sides, and two large jutting rocks forming a crescent shape. Gray stood beside me and took it all in.

"Wow" he breathed. I nodded, as my gaze swept to the collection of six small, white-brick buildings in a cluster to the left. Walter followed our gaze.

"Come on down, I'll give you a quick tour" he said, as Lucy and Erza joined us.

"This place is amazing" Lucy commented, beginning to follow Walter down the slope with the rest of us. We quickly reached the buildings, noting that they were all the same square, simple shape. "Which building's which?" Lucy asked. Walter grinned.

"There are a total of six buildings" he said, "One room for each of Me, Cyrus, and Blake, which you will all be sharing in twos, plus one guest house, which will house the final pair. There is also a large dining/kitchen area in the building closest to the lake" he pointed as he took us over to it, "Which is where you can eat together. There is also a store house with food, spare clothes, even weapons, that is closest to the forest" he gestured to his right. We looked around.

"So who's going to share with who?" I asked, a grin on my face as I looked to Gray on my right. He smiled back, the same thought in his head as in my own. Walter was chuckling as he went to answer.

"Natsu, you and Gray will be sharing _my_ place" Walter said, eyes glittering with amusement as we tried to play this off coolly.

"Okay" I said bluntly. Erza darted us a look of suspicion.

"No complaints?" she asked quizzically, "You aren't to fight"

I shrugged, "It's not like I haven't shared a room with Gray before on jobs, right?" I replied. Erza smiled and nodded.

"Good to see you so well behaved Natsu, are you sure you're feeling all right?" she commented, Lucy giggling. I pouted.

"Hmph…"

Walter watched the exchange with intense amusement before speaking again. "Cyrus' place will be shared by Sting and Rogue; I hope that is okay?" Sting nodded, "And I figured that the girls can have the guesthouse" he added, which both Lucy and Erza nodded in agreement.

"I take it Blake and Cyrus are sharing Blake's room" Lucy said. Walter nodded.

"Yeah. Each room, except the guest room, was designed for us individually. As such, there is some differences. My room has a few unique things useful to me, whilst Cyrus has his own mini library and Blake's kinda has… science equipment, for him to try to create new elixirs. I figured his room was the one best to not be used for people who might accidentally spill stuff" Walter explained, before fumbling in his suit jacket. "Here's the keys, each room has our names on, or GUEST, so it isn't hard to find them. Besides that, I guess I just have to wish you a good time here" Walter stated, handing out the keys to the rooms.

I took the key for me and Gray, Walter smiling and giving us a wink as the others all filed off to find their shared residences. "Are you leaving now then?" I asked him as me and Gray collected up our luggage. Walter nodded.

"Yeah, I've got some stuff to do. But first, I'll show you to your room" he gestured for us to go ahead of him, pointing to the building. We walked up with him, unlocking the door and going inside.

The inside of the building was nice. It had three rooms, a bed room and living space, a toilet, and what looked to be a walk-in wardrobe that seemed to take up about thirty percent of the entire building's space. "This is… cool" I said. Walter nodded.

"I said it was designed for me" he said, "The wardrobe holds a few suits and other things, you can use 'em if you like".

"Thanks…" I said, as Gray and I unloaded our luggage onto the bed. "Is there only one bed in each building?" I asked Walter, who was now sitting on one of the sofas facing us. He grinned and shook his head.

"No" he stated, laughing, "Normally there is only one, but we put a couple in each of the other's, except the guest house as that already had three in. I figured you guys wouldn't mind" His eyes danced with amusement.

I shook my head and jumped down onto the comfortable bed, Gray doing the same beside me. "I don't mind" I said. Gray furrowed his brows.

"You sure?" he asked, causing me to nodded quickly. Walter stopped his chuckling momentarily.

"I've been meaning to ask you two," he started, causing us each to look back over to him, "When we were in Magnolia and I asked if you two had been doing _anything interesting_ when you said you were 'just training' you got all blunt and defensive. Is something going on? You don't have to tell me, but… I'm just curious" Walter asked, no barriers whatsoever. I gaped for a moment and looked to Gray.

"You're a little too curious" Gray commented. Walter shrugged.

"Fine then, you don't need to tell me, I guess it's pretty private" he said, before cracking a smile, "But… I figure I'll just say this; Mates" Now we were both gaping. _He knows?!_

"How d-do you know a-about that?" I stuttered. Walter laughed.

"I know quite a bit about lost magic, since I often end up fighting users of it. Dragon's, according to books I've read on them, can only have one mate. Since Natsu is the Fire Dragon Slayer, and takes on the aspects thereof, I figured that he must have a similar problem when you two started acting like that" Walter explained.

"Tch… nothing's hidden from you, is it?" Gray commented. Walter shook his head.

"The only thing I didn't know was that _this_ meant that Natsu can only… um… _have fun_ with one person" the Requip mage said.

"Will you tell anyone?" I blurted, suddenly embarrassed about others in the guild finding out. Gray looked to me as Walter shook his head.

"I agreed not to tell about your relationship, I won't tell about this either" Walter said friendlily, "But honestly… you two really need to look at yourselves. Around the guild you try to be 'normal', but you keep sending each other little looks, even the odd smile. You repeatedly go on dates, from what I've heard from people they see you always going to 'this place' or 'that restaurant', and also you seem to spend nearly all your time over at each other's houses, since I always here members of your guild commenting on how you two keep 'crashing at each other's place'" Walter said, shaking his head, "On top of that you two have a long history, and judging from your reaction right now, you look to each other for support every single time there's a problem. If you two don't already realise; that's a pretty good relationship, don't you think?" Once Walter finished speaking he shrugged. "But never mind, I'll have to head off now. I hope you two do enjoy your time here, and please think about telling people since it's getting harder for me to cover for you two every time you do such stupid stuff as grin like idiots the moment you're told to share the same room" Walter finished, closing the door as he left, and leaving us silent in shock.

As he went me and Gray looked at each other. "Are we really that obvious?" I asked the Ice mage, who shrugged.

"Guess we are, although that was only Walter's opinion" he replied, moving his arms up to push himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. I joined him.

"Do… do you really think that our relationship is so 'good'?" I asked Gray reluctantly. He looked to me with surprise.

"Yeah, why, do you not?" he responded quickly, arm moving to snake around my waist. I shrugged.

"I like it. I like you. There's nothing 'bad', I don't think… it's just… I feel like I've trapped you because of the whole mating…" I said, honesty in my tone. Gray kissed my cheek.

"Natsu, you haven't trapped me. I know that when you told me about the mates thing it came as a bit of a surprise, but… I guess I don't really mind, and I know that I've said that a lot… but…" Gray trailed off, my hand coming to rest on his thigh. _I've got to say it… there's not another moment where it's going to feel right… although… it might be awkward, but I've got to_ I thought suddenly.

"Gray… I…" I couldn't finish. Gray looked at me, our eyes meeting, dark green meeting deep blue. _Just say it!_

"Natsu, I think I… know what you're gonna say" he smiled, warm and comforting, "I love you". Three simple words, yet as soon as the dark haired man said them I could help but kiss him.

Pulling away I smiled stupidly. "I love you too, Gray" I parroted. Gray's strong arms came up to embrace me tightly as we kissed again. I opened my mouth, willingly allowing Gray's tongue inside. It was an electric feeling. _Gray loves me_ I thought happily.

As soon as we pulled away again I could see Gray was smiling as broadly as I was. "I guess… we're both stupid, again. I wanted to say that too when we were in my apartment, but then we talked about mates and stuff and it didn't feel right" he said. I nodded.

"I kind of… planned to take you to the baths and then see how you felt…" I admitted, going red. Gray's smiled broadened further and he laughed.

"Was that why you were so intent on us going there?" he mused. I nodded.

"But then I went and told you anyways. I kind of hoped you'd say it first, but then, just now, when Walter said how obvious we were being, I realised I _wanted_ to be with you more, regardless of whether others knew. So… I tried to tell you but…"

"I beat you to it, as usual" Gray finished, a note of triumph in his voice. I punched his arm lightly.

"Don't ruin this moment" I said flatly. Gray laughed and then pulled me down onto the bed to lay beside him.

"Okay, how about I say this instead; I think this is going to be a _really_ great vacation" he said.

I nodded. "Yeah, me too".

/

 **General POV**

Walter stood outside the door, a big smile on his face. _Those two are idiots. It's taken them this long to realise that they love each other_ he thought, before checking his watch for the time.

"Guess I'll be going then" he whispered, as Cyrus ran up to meet him.

"You're going to be late Walter" he said as he met up with his companion. The Requip mage nodded.

"I'm heading out now, if you're going to bother those two though, I'd give them a few minutes" Walter said, jutting a thumb in the direction of his room.

Cyrus sighed. "I don't even want to _know_ what you've managed to get them to do. The vehicles at the usual place, I'm going to just check over a few things with the other Dragon Slayers in my room, before meeting up with Blake to discuss a few things about security, which we'll then relay to the others later" the Script mage explained. Walter nodded.

"Sounds good, see ya" he said, before walking off. As soon as Cyrus was out of sight, Walter stopped, a feeling of dread suddenly overtaking his body. "Am I being watched?" he said aloud, scanning his environment quickly. There was nothing evident so he shrugged and continued on to the magic mobile that was waiting for him "Probably just a large bug". As he plugged himself into the SE plug a grin played with the sides of his mouth. "How much would I bet that those two tell _somebody_ before they get back to Magnolia? A million, no… a _billion_ jewel?" He laughed as he started the engine and sent the car forwards, through the trees.

As soon as the noise of the engine could not be heard a pair of hungry eyes, followed by another set of more critical ones, moved out from where they were hiding. "That idiot should have been killed years ago" one of the two hiding assailants stated "Although he managed to sense us he didn't do anything. Idiot". The other one gnashed its teeth.

"It smelled better than that one in the forest, can I eat it?" it said, a wildness to its voice no animal could match.

The first assailant sighed. "No you may not, brother dearest, I have to do some things first before we take on the Triplet Code directly. Remember, they are _not_ our prime objective here".

"Aw… but elder brother, that one was _so tasty_ " the younger brother said.

"I said no. Now… you wait in the forest as I probe this pathetic security for any weak points. The Dragon Slayer is down there with his mate and we've got work to do" the elder stated, cracking his knuckles "You might get to fight the other two Codes, but they need to be kept _alive_ ". The two nightmares stood on the precipice of the harbor, ready for attack, their presence unknown despite all the spells Cyrus had erected.

And their target was none the wiser. Yet.

 **Chapter 15 End**

 **Next Chapter; Beach Buddy**


	16. Chapter 16 - Beach Buddy

**Chapter 16 – Beach Buddy**

 **Natsu POV**

Gray and I walked through the white, sun lit buildings, each of us wearing a big smile on our faces. It had been one day since we had arrived here and neither of us had done anything even vaguely 'fun' yet. The day we arrived Walter had showed us to our room, and made us think about our relationship to the point where we each admitted our feelings to the other. Although we were thankful to him for that, we couldn't have been more annoyed about ten minutes later, when Cyrus called us all together in the dining hall to 'discuss some house rules' that the Requip mage had insisted on. His lecture lasted for two hours, and by the time we all had dinner it was too late for anyone to do anything. _Stupid Cyrus_ I had thought as Gray led me back to our room. As soon as we were inside Gray led me to the bed and had begun kissing me before I had even lay down. After twenty minutes of alternating between intense kisses and short periods of breathing we had decided to go to sleep so we could wake up early and get to the beach before anyone else.

Of course that never worked either as Cyrus called us all back to the dining hall to discuss my security this morning. When we entered the dining hall we were met with a lot of annoyed stares. "Good morning you two" Sting greeted cheerfully, the only one of the group smiling "Did you sleep okay?". I nodded to him.

"Yeah, it was great… except when Cyrus called us in here too early" I replied. Sting chuckled as Rogue hit him on the arm. Cyrus gestured for us to take a seat, which we both did begrudgingly.

"You're late… but now that you've arrived we may begin," The Script mage started, "Firstly, I want to set down two rules by which _you_ , Natsu, must follow. One; you must not enter the forest, nor can you leave the harbor, do you agree?" Cyrus looked to me for a response, prompting me to nod quickly. "Good. Two; I think it best that someone keep an eye on you at all times, does anyone wish to volunteer for that?" the Script mage looked to the assembled group. Lucy went to put up her hand, but Gray was quicker.

"I'll stay with him, it's easier for me to do it since we _are_ sharing a room" the Ice mage stated. Erza nodded.

"I think that's a wise decision, Gray" she said, "But I think that it should be done by all of us, since it's our responsibility for being here" she added. Lucy nodded in agreement, as did Cyrus.

I shook my head. "It will get too difficult for everyone if there's constantly changing people" I said, "I'd prefer it if just one person kept up their guard".

Cyrus shrugged. "We're all to keep our guard up anyways, it would be more careful if we had everyone keeping an eye on you" the Script mage countered.

"I really don't mind doing it" Gray insisted, "After all, I know what Natsu's gonna do since he's so easy to read" I scowled at him, but kept my mouth shut. He was making a good case for us.

"But you two better not fight, alright?" Lucy said. We nodded.

"We won't" we both said in unison. Sting then raised his hand.

"If one person is doing it they're more likely to lose track, so I think at least two people should look after Natsu" the blond stated, "I'll share the duty with Gray". I looked to Gray to see that he was staring intently at the blond Guildmaster. _Keep calm Gray_ I thought.

"Why should you do it Sting, I mean… aren't you a Guildmaster and everything, shouldn't you focus more on security?" I reasoned. Gray glanced back to me, before his gaze jumped between Sting and Cyrus.

"It's fine, like Erza said, we're all here to protect you, Natsu" Sting stated. Cyrus and Blake took the opportunity to stand up before the group. Erza looked like she was going to say something herself, however Cyrus started first.

"I think that minimizing the amount of disruption is good, but we can't leave Natsu under the watch of just one person, as that could lead to distraction" Cyrus said, "Blake and I agree that Sting and Gray would be the best fit since Gray, as he said, is the one sharing the room with Natsu, and Sting, as a Dragon Slayer, has the sense of smell and other senses that could help him in keeping watch. Rogue may also participate if he wishes for that reason as well" the Script mage concluded, looking to the Shadow Dragon Slayer sitting beside Sting.

Rogue shook his head. "I'll be keeping watch on any other dangers, let Sting handle this" he said. Cyrus nodded.

"Is everyone clear then? You all need to keep watch for intruders, but Sting and Gray are assigned the responsibility of Natsu's personal security" Cyrus finished. Erza and Lucy nodded in agreement as everyone stood up.

I nodded along with everyone else, however I was worried about what Gray was thinking, having being told to share responsibility with Sting. I looked over to Gray as we walked out. "Are you okay with this?" I whispered. He remained quiet.

"Hey, Gray!" Sting called out to us. "Want to take shifts? How about after lunch I take over, and then you can take over again tonight" he said, walking up to meet us. Gray and I stopped and looked at the blond, noticing that Rogue was absent.

Surprisingly Gray seemed calm when he looked at Sting. "I think that's a bit too often, remember that Cyrus said to minimize disruption" the Ice mage said. Sting seemed to take this in consideration, pouting in thought before speaking again.

"That's a good point. We're here for two weeks, assuming that Nightmare is caught by then… so how about we each take two days, then the other takes over for the other two days and keep on doing that. Of course you'll still have to look after him on nights but you don't mind, right?" Sting suggested. Gray nodded.

"That sounds more fair, we each gotta enjoy our time here too, right?" he joked. I tried not to look surprised. _Gray's actually acting friendly towards Sting… guess that means he's over his jealousy_ I thought hopefully.

"Yeah, that's right too, I guess… in that case I'll leave him with you for today and tomorrow" Sting said, before moving to leave, "See ya later" he added with a wave at us. I smiled at him as he left, before looking to Gray and stopping. My Ice wizard boyfriend was stoic, face withdrawn. _Okay, maybe he isn't over it…_ I thought a bit more solemnly, _guess it's going to be harder than I thought convincing him…_

/

We went back to the room quickly, Gray locking the door behind us. Once we were inside I took a seat on one of the sofas, as Gray stood in a worrying quiet. "Uh… Gray…" I asked the Ice mage. He looked at me.

"Oh… sorry" he mumbled, before coming to sit next to me. I smiled, _he cares for me, I know that, but… I want him to be friends with Sting_.

"It's alright, I bet I know what you're thinking about" I replied, causing Gray to look intently at me. Once I had his attention I tried to keep it. "You're _still_ afraid of me and Sting together, right?" I asked him. Gray hung his head, but I brought my hand up to his face and pushed his head back up to look at me. From his gaze I could tell he knew I wanted to sort this out once and for all.

"I love you Natsu, I just… think Sting might too" he said quietly. I nodded.

"I know you love me, but for the last time Sting _doesn't_ love me, he isn't interested" I replied, tone level but commanding, "His scent tells me he wants to be friends, yes, but not that he has anything else in mind. Not like you" I grinned slightly. Gray shifted, however not uncomfortably, instead he shifted to sit closer to me.

"I'm sorry, I get jealous" he said in a quiet tone, "Although… if Sting and Rogue are Dragon Slayers too, doesn't that mean they can smell it on me too, whatever it is that tells you how I feel… pheromones?" I shrugged.

"I guess that since I didn't smell it from you at first, and Gajeel and Wendy don't seem to have noticed, that they haven't either. But if they do say anything, just say that they're probably getting mixed up because we're sharing a room, okay?" Gray nodded in understanding.

"Okay, that makes sense" he said, before we heard Lucy and Erza talking as they passed our building. I grinned to him widely.

"Want to go to the beach now?" I asked him. He nodded, and I took his hand.

"Have you got stuff to change into?" he asked me. I nodded, before stripping down to my boxers. I stopped before removing those too, and changing into my swimming stuff.

"Err… do you want me to get changed in the other ro-" I stopped midsentence as Gray removed his boxers, a big smile on his face. I chuckled, "Guess not" I said, stripping naked as well, before quickly getting changed, as did Gray. _I can't see him like that too much, otherwise mating might not be optional_ I thought slyly as we both left the room.

/

 **Gray POV**

As soon as we left the apartment we both walked about four steps then, grinning like idiots and giggling like children, we ran at high speed towards the water. Natsu got there first, cheering victoriously as he jumped into the clear blue waves, me close behind him. "I beat ya, Gray" he cheered, before splashing water at me. I could help myself and splashed him back.

"Well I had to lock the door and everything, flame brain" I retorted, acting more like our usual selves than we'd care to admit.

"Shut up, you started running before I did, popsicle" Natsu countered, sending another splash at me. I laughed, before splashing him back, starting a small 'splash fight' between us.

"You two better not splash me" Lucy said, swimming some distance around the area where we were splashing. We each looked to her with devilish grins, before joining our powers to splash her with one big heap of water. "Agh…" Lucy cried out as the small wave of water hit her. "You two are so dead for this" she said, before splashing us both. We restarted our splashing, now with Lucy splashing us too.

I used some of my power to throw up a small icy wall, which sent the water rebounding off its surface. "You'll not hit me with this shield" I warned, using one hand to maintain the shield as the other splashed water from the side.

Natsu grinned wider, before his fist began engulfed in flames. "Let's see about that" he stated, before propelling himself through the water towards me, one hand free to continue splashing me and Lucy as the other threw a punch at my ice barrier. He continued throwing punches and splashing until we both gave up, exhausted. "That was fun" Natsu said, I nodded, eyes now drifting over his body, which was only half in the water. _Fuck… he's so hot_ I thought, watching the water on his chest and whishing I could just do whatever I wanted without having to worry about the others around us.

"Yeah… it was…" I breathed distractedly. Lucy had already headed to shore, after being nearly assaulted by Natsu she was in no mood now to play our games any more. I noticed Natsu smirk devilishly, before dropping down so only his head bobbed above the water.

I pouted before I realised I was doing it, causing him to laugh. When I sank down to meet him, each of us nothing more than a head above the waves, I smiled. Natsu continued chuckling, before coming up close enough to whisper. "You were _staring_ , Gray" he said. I sighed and nodded. _I can't help it when it's him._

"Yeah, I was" I admitted. Natsu cocked his head.

"Do you want to go for a swim for a bit?" he asked. I gave a brief look of confusion. _He wants us to swim together?_ I was about to ask where he wanted to swim to, however I felt something suddenly snake its way up my thigh.

"Ahh…" I leapt up, "Was that a sea snake?" Natsu laughed, and suddenly I realised it was him, sinking back down to where I was embarrassedly.

"Does my _hand_ look like a sea snake?" the pinkette said, trying hard to stifle his laughter. I wanted to hit him so bad, but I didn't want to have Erza on our case.

"Shut up. I just wasn't expecting it" I said, "So are we going for that swim?"

Natsu nodded, and I felt his hand once more slide up my leg, resting on my abdomen. "Yeah, we can swim and then, I don't know… if we find some quiet patch of beach further along maybe we can lay around and tan for a bit" Natsu said, giving me a wink.

I set off swimming, him joining me a moment later. "Is that all we're going to do?" I asked him, voice innocent. Natsu chuckled darkly.

"Probably" he answered. _So… is that a no then?_ I thought, before increasing the speed I was swimming. _I want to see just how badly he wants to get to that 'quiet patch of beach'_ … _he's not the only one who's going get to touch…_

/

We reached a strip of sandy beach some ways away from the rest of the group, where only me and Natsu could lie down together. Natsu had been the one to spot the small, secluded beach area and was the first of us to lie down on the golden sands, body so tantalizingly _almost_ bare. Almost.

When I lay down beside him Natsu turned to lie on his side, grinning at me. I immediately felt his hand brush up my side. I smiled at him, before replying in kind, my own hand brushing along the arm that the pinkette had outstretched. "So you wanted to do this too" Natsu commented, before withdrawing his arm momentarily "Touching me, I mean? Or is it you wanted to do something _more_?" he questioned. I nodded at him.

"Of course I wanted to touch you, feel your body, I can't resist touching _you_ " I answered, honesty the only sound in my voice. Natsu chuckled, before moving to lie directly beside me, his chest touching my arm.

"How much of me do you want to touch?" he asked, voice silky. I gulped subconsciously before answering.

"All of you" I said. Natsu chuckled.

"Are you sure you don't want to do _anything_ else, Gray?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I thought we talked about the mating thing before" I said, "How you can't…"

Natsu grinned. "I've been thinking about it, snowflake, and I… I think I might have found a way around that, sort of" he said, eye glittering with a mixture of happiness, excitement, fear and uncertainty.

I couldn't help the look of confusion form on my face. "You have?" I asked flatly, hope rising in me that I could get to be even closer to Natsu than we were already.

He rolled over to lie on his back before speaking again. I was transfixed by the steady rise and falling of his bare chest, water droplets still present from our swim, as he spoke once more. "I think we could… sort of… _do some stuff_ , as long as I don't get too _involved_ " Natsu said. I was still confused, but did not speak as Natsu continued voicing his thoughts. "Dragons and Dragon Slayers can only have one mate to have sex with, that is true, but… I thought that, since were people and not dragons, there might be some stuff we could do… like I could… maybe…" he trailed off, a little red hue rising in his cheeks. _That's adorable_ I thought, before realising what he was going to say.

"You mean you could give me a blow job, or a hand job, right?" I said bluntly. Natsu rolled over to look directly at me once more, eyes somewhat pleading. I didn't need to have his sense of smell to tell how he was feeling, his eyes already told me that I was right.

"Y-yes… if you want to" he stuttered unsurely. I reached out to hold his hand, before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I want to, but only if you're sure it's okay" I said. Natsu went a little pinker. _He's so confident fighting people who are so much stronger than him, but when he talks about sex he goes all pink_ I thought, _I love it._

"I think it's okay, I mean… I can't ask Igneel but… as long as it's only you, so I can't… f-from you" he said. I nodded in semi-understanding.

"You can do it to me, but not the other way around" I said bluntly, trying to decipher his stutters. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, basically I can do it to you, but I'd have to do it _alone_ if I wanted to… you know…" he said. I kissed him suddenly, cutting him from finishing. It was short and sweet and loving.

"I would love to be able to do it with you Natsu, properly, but if this is all you can do then that's fine with me. But only if you want to that is" I said. Natsu trailed his other arm up my body.

"I think I want to… with you, Gray" he said, kissing me again.

/

We lay at that beach for about an hour, me and Natsu cuddling up to each other, but still keeping ready in case anyone started to look for us. We couldn't have them find us like this, it would be _way_ too hard to explain. When we, or more accurately Natsu, heard that the others were looking for us we decided to head back. We splashed back into the cool waters, swimming side by side as we made it back to the main line of shore where everyone else was.

"Where have you two been? We were worried something happened" Erza said as we dragged ourselves onto the beach and out of the water. Natsu smiled at me, leaving me to answer the redhead.

"We were… just swimming. This idiot insisted on competing in a stupid race" I said, sneering a little at Natsu. Natsu laughed.

"But I beat you, droopy eyes" he chuckled.

"Did not, squinty eyes" I snapped back, before we each stopped, Erza staring us both down.

"Stop arguing, as long as you don't run off, and you don't destroy anything, I don't care what you do" she said, before returning to the place on the beach where she had been laying moments before. "Just tell us that your wandering off somewhere next time, especially since its Natsu were here to look out for".

Once we had been given leave from Erza we both headed back into the water, submerging ourselves up to our heads. Natsu then began floating mindlessly in the blue ocean, grinning at me. "What should we do now then?" he asked me. I shrugged, swimming up to his side.

"Don't know, we've been out here for a while so lunch should be soon" I said, "I think I might just sunbathe until then". Natsu pouted.

"I want to stay in the water a bit longer. But if you've gotta 'keep an eye on me', then I guess I gotta go with you" he said. I smirked.

"Hey, I don't mind staying in the water, if" I paused, placing my hand on Natsu's back, "you promise to lay around with me on the beach later". Natsu nodded.

"Fine, I wi-" he was cut off as I used my hand on his back to tip him over, sending him underwater. I laughed as he bobbed back up to the surface, drenched. "Hey! What was that for?!" he barked angrily.

I grinned. "That was for calling me droopy eyes and being a jerk in front of Erza" I said. Natsu growled a little.

"Oh, then I guess this" he splashed water at me, "was for pushing me in the water". As soon as he splashed me our little splash fight from earlier restarted, this time a little more severely. I immediately brought up my ice shield to protect me from the heated water Natsu was sending my way. I used my magic to cool the water around us down to near freezing. "Agh… cold…" Natsu exclaimed, before diving down under the water.

I tried to see where he was, but I couldn't as I had to maintain my wall ready for his counterattack. I suddenly felt a great heat beneath me, bubbles rising all around me as I realised Natsu was using fire magic to heat the water below me. I ceased focusing on maintaining my shield as I used my magic to cool the near boiling water Natsu was heating. Eventually Natsu came up gasping for air. I smirked. "Ice Make; Bucket" I commanded. Before he could do anything more I conjured up an oversized bucket of ice above Natsu and used it tip freezing water on him.

"Gray… that's too c-cold" Natsu whimpered.

"I think it's fine, better than that boiling water you were trying to use" I said. Natsu growled, a flare of competition in his eyes.

"I'm going to do more than just heat the water" he said, before opening his mouth. "Fire Dragon Roar" he shouted, sending flames downward, propelling himself up and out of the water as steam rose around me, obscuring my vision.

"Damn it" I cursed. Before I could do anything else I heard a rushing noise coming towards me. I tried to conjure up something to block it, but it was closer than I thought. The wave of heated water Natsu had churned up using his Fire Dragon Wing Attack crashed into me and sent me sprawling back, towards the beach. Suddenly a yell could be heard as the wave sent me sprawling into Sting, who was swimming closer to the shoreline. "What the-" Sting started as we both stood up in the water. "That water was scolding" he stated. I nodded, scowling and pointing over to where Natsu was cheering victoriously.

"That idiot's not gonna live to see that Nightmare" I said. Sting nodded, a devilish look on his face.

"Wanna get some pay back?" he asked. I nodded, and we both charged back out towards Natsu. Sting readied a roar as I prepared to make another bucket to send over Natsu. "White Dragon Roar" Sting yelled, before a line of light tore through the water. It vaporized the water close to Natsu's left, causing a large gap to be made which sent displaced water crashing over Natsu.

"Ha… agh…" Natsu stopped cheering. I joined in, sending two bucketsful of ice cold water over the pinkette before he could recover. "G-Gray…" he yelped as the water hit him. Me and Sting laughed, watching the annoyed pinkette swim up to us. "That wasn't funny" he said with a pout, "It was two on one". I shrugged.

"You shouldn't have used that stupidly large wave then, Dragon Princess" I said. Sting kept laughing.

"I can't wait for my turn as guardian, I'm gonna make you pay for ruining my swim, now I can't remember how many laps I was up to" Sting said to Natsu, a promise on his voice. Natsu looked like he was about to say something, but then we heard Cyrus' voice calling out to us all.

"Hello all guests, lunch will be served in the dinner hall in five minutes" he said. We all looked to the shore, Natsu's stomach growling.

"Hungry?" I asked him, all annoyance gone from his tone as soon as food was mentioned.

"Yeah, come on, let's dry off" he said, swimming off to shore, me and Sting not far behind. I glanced at the blond Guildmaster as we swam. Despite how I felt about him I knew that I had to trust Natsu, plus, from what I'd seen in our little fight he really did seem to just want to have some fun. _Maybe I was wrong…_

/

 **General POV**

The twin Nightmares stood, unbeknownst to everyone, on the hill overlooking the area. The feral younger brother sat, teeth gnashing impatiently as his older brother surveyed the scene. "Looks like that blond White Dragon is the key to getting Natsu. That black haired Ice mage seems to be in some sort of relationship with our target, so he will be a far more serious opponent. If we can capture the White Dragon we have our way through the Fire Dragon's defense" the elder one said.

"But I still get to eat the blond once we've captured him, yes?" the younger one asked. The elder sighed.

"Yes, once I extract all the useful information out of him" he said tiredly. Sometimes he wished to be rid of his charge and just kill his younger brother. To his mind it would be so much easier than having to constantly tell him not to attack everything in sight.

A rustling sound was made behind the two, and they each instantly rotated, ready for a fight. "Easy there" a new voice sounded, "It's just me". The newcomer was a neatly dressed, young child of about twelve of thirteen, with blond hair and bright golden eyes. His innocence was worn as a tidy façade.

"What do you want?" the elder brother asked coldly.

"Well… as a Nightmare like yourselves I want what all of us want. But unlike you, dear Sanity, I want to live as well" the young boy said. The elder brother, dubbed Sanity, scowled.

"You want to betray our master, Hope" he accused. The young boy, Hope, shook his head.

"I want nothing of the sort" he reiterated, "But I didn't come here to speak of that anyways. I came to warn you and your brother; don't take any one of these mages lightly, they are each capable of defeating you should it be required". Sanity shook his head.

" _We_ aren't like you, _we_ can fight, and we will get our mark" he said, a note of anger in his voice. Hope shrugged.

" _You_ , Sanity, have zero chance, _you_ simply rely on your brother, Madness, to tear them to pieces" Hope stated. "If you want to succeed in capturing them then I will help you"

Madness chattered his teeth, "We need no help, we need no help".

Sanity smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Shut up, I will hear you out, Hope".

Hope's face broke into an evil grin. "Good. Now… you said about targeting Sting…" he began, explaining how the two could capture Natsu. All the while no one had any idea that this threat loomed closer than anyone believed.

/

 **Natsu POV  
** We ate our lunch then me and Gray sunbathed together for a few hours. Beside the odd word no body spoke, we were just too lost in our own thoughts. By the time we got to our room the sun was setting, a beautiful golden-orange orb in the sky, reflected by the crystal sea. Gray unlocked the door and ushered me inside.

Once inside I immediately went to lie down on the bed, only for Gray to shout for me to stop. "You can't lie down on there, you're still all sandy Natsu" the Ice mage said. I shrugged.

"It's not that bad, is it?" I said. Gray shook his head.

"We're sleeping in the same bed; I don't want it sandy" he stated. I sighed.

"Fine, I'll go take a shower" I replied, annoyed that I had to put off sleep when I was so tired. Gray grinned at me and nodded.

"That's better. Don't forget, it's not just you sleeping there" he said. I couldn't help but smile. _I know that, and I love it_ I thought happily, before plodding off to the bathroom to strip down and shower. Once I got back I found Gray lounging on a towel on the sofa.

"Won't that get the sofa sandy?" I said, already changed into some new underwear. Gray shook his head.

"That's why I put the towel down" he said, "You done?" I nodded.

"Yeah, you can shower now" I said, before moving over to the bed and just plopping down on top of it. The bed really was comfortable; however, it wasn't what made me sleep so soundly the previous night. No, the feeling of Gray beside me was the most comforting thing. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the sound of his heart beating in a slower, sleep-rhythm. No matter how comfortable a bed was, without him there I didn't think it could be the _most_ comfortable place to sleep.

Once Gray re-entered the room he was also ready for bed, as tired as I was from all the swimming and messing about. He lay down beside me, pulling the covers over the top of himself. I didn't really need them since I was always warm from my magic, however I didn't mind the extra layer. I turned on my side to look at him, smiling contently. "Today was fun" Gray said, smiling back at me. I nodded and went to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, it was. Do you think… we could have more fun tomorrow?" I asked him. Gray nodded and leaned in close to me. I could smell his scent, unhidden by the salty sea smell, it was like snow and pine; refreshing.

"Of course we can. I think tomorrow might be even _better_ than today" he said. I nodded before resting my head on his shoulder.

"I love you Gray" I said. He mumbled an 'I love you' back, already sleepy. I smiled as sleep over took me too. _One day was all it took to go from 'I like you' to 'I love you'_ I thought, before darkness filled my vision and I fell into a peaceful sleep, dreams of Gray, the ocean, and sand filled my mind.

Mostly just the Ice mage I loved, though.

 **Chapter 16 End**

 **Next Chapter; Better Days**


	17. Chapter 17 - Better Days

**Chapter 17 – Better Days**

 **Natsu POV**

I awoke to the peaceful sounds of waves lapping up onto the shore, mixed with the slight noises of Gray's breathing beside me. With a quick look to the window I could see it was early in the morning. _I'm not usually up this early_ I thought tiredly, before looking to Gray. The Ice mage was asleep peacefully, his arm around my chest making me feel protected despite the threat of kidnapping that lay over my head. "He's so cute" I whispered to myself, observing the slender features of my boyfriend's face, outlined by his black hair splayed upon the pillow beneath. I smiled contentedly as I reached out my hand to stroke Gray's cheek with my thumb.

"Mmn…" Gray murmured in his sleep, "N… atsu…" I had to stifle a small chuckle. _Dreaming about me, eh?_ I thought happily.

Removing my hand to avoid waking him, I sat and listened to the sounds he was making, wanting to see if he would murmur anything else that would give me a clue as to what he was dreaming about me. After a few minutes Gray shifted a little in his sleep. I shifted to match his new position, however my hand brushed over his leg. And something hard. _Was that…?_ I thought with sudden surprise as the hard object brushed past my slightly outstretched arm. I furrowed my brows for a moment as I experimentally reached my hand forward again. From Gray's new position he was facing towards me, laying in a somewhat curled pose. I found the hard spot again, and breathed in quickly as realisation hit me. _Now I think… I know what he might be dreaming of_ I grinned as I felt Gray's hard on touch my hand fleetingly, before I retracted my arm once more. Smiling for a whole new reason, a memory of the day before jumped to my mind. _I told him about what I thought… do you think… he would it be okay if I touched him like that? Even when he's asleep?_

I shook my head slightly to remove the thought. _I can't go touching Gray like that when he's asleep_ I reminded myself, _But I wonder if he'll wake up if I…_ I couldn't help myself. I reached down again and found Gray's clothed member, trapped beneath the fabric of his underwear. _It shouldn't form a mating bond so I should be okay to do it_ I reasoned, not noticing Gray's slight change in breathing. "You really want to touch me like that, Natsu?" Gray said suddenly. I jumped at the sound of his voice, pulling my hand away from his groin.

"Oh… err…" I stammered. Gray chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not upset or anything, I was just wondering why you didn't do anything" the Ice mage said. I gave him a look of confusion.

"You mean, if I _had_ touched you, or anything… you wouldn't have been mad, or annoyed?" I asked him. Gray chuckled again.

"No, of course not. I guess… I think it would be a pretty good way to wake up in the morning" he said amusedly. "It did surprise me a bit, I mean… you told me yesterday that you _thought_ it might be okay, so I didn't expect to wake up the following day with you doing it, but now that you've _touched_ it… do you want to do anything _more_?" his eyes glittered with a new emotion I did not recognize on him. A sort of _lust_.

I ignored his eyes and instead looked downwards, trying to see through the blanket that covered us both. "Well… err… would you _mind_ if I did it to you?" I asked unsurely. Gray smiled warmly as he placed on hand on my cheek, stroking it with his thumb.

"Of course I don't, fire breath. It's up to you though" he said. Ignoring his comment, I gave it a moment of thought before I began reaching out with my hand, faltering for a moment as I felt Gray's body heat against my skin, telling me I was close to him. Gray chuckled before lowering his other hand down to meet mine, clasping my wrist he pulled it closer, until my hand was resting on his abdomen. "If you really don't want to do it you can just take it away, but if you do…" he raised his eye brows suggestively.

I didn't think anymore, I just acted on impulse. I used my free hand to pull Gray's face close, our lips meeting in a kiss as my hand slid downwards, towards Gray's member. Once I reached it I felt it through the thin fabric. Gray moaned a little into the kiss as I rubbed the tip with my palm. Once Gray moaned I lost the little control of myself I had and soon I found myself pressing my tounge to his lips, asking for him to open and allow me entrance.

Gray allowed me to enter and I explored his mouth with my tongue. "N-Natsu…" Gray mumbled into the kiss. I smiled as he moved his hips to grind against my palm. As soon as he started to moan again I withdrew my hand and broke off the kiss. Gray looked at me confusedly. "Why'd you stop?" he asked, voice pleading.

I pouted and cocked my head. _Why did I stop? I wanted this…_ I thought, before I realised what else had just popped into my head. _Can I actually do this with Gray?_ "Er… I'm just… I _think_ it's okay if I do this… but…" I couldn't bring myself to admit it was just a guess that this would work out.

Gray furrowed his brows. "I trust you, you can… continue, if you want" he said, before giving me a slightly darker look, "Because now that you've started this I'm _going to have to finish_ , one way or another" he added. I smirked before kissing him again.

"I _don't_ want you to have to do that because of me" I said. Gray chuckled.

"Well then…" he gestured downwards with his eyes.

"Okay… so… I guess it's okay then" I said, causing Gray to chuckle once more. I kissed him quickly, before kissing a trail along his jawline.

"Yeah, it's okay" he said. I continued to kiss lower, moving down his neck, before he tossed off the covers concealing us. Once that was done I began kissing lower and lower, feeling his chest and abs as my mouth followed my hands down to the waistband of Gray's boxers. I looked up at Gray, who nodded to me. I smiled one last time before removing Gray's pants and eyeing up his hard cock. _It's bigger than I thought_ I noted to myself, also noting that Gray seemed to be longer than me, but not as thick. Gray's hand came down to thread through my hair as I stroked up his cock with my hand.

"Agh… Natsu…" he breathed, before observing my hesitancy. "Are you sure you want to?" he asked, concern in his eyes now.

"Yeah, it's just…" I sighed, "I've not done this before"

Gray nodded in understanding. "I get it. Just do what feels alright, I don't want you choking or getting too…" he stopped as I stroked his cock again.

I laughed a little. "Alright" I said to him "if you're okay with that" I smiled a little more confidently, before experimentally bringing my tongue down to lick a stripe from base to tip. Gray moaned out a little and I smiled at the encouraging tug he gave me from his hand on my head. I repeated the action again, this time flicking my tounge over the head and slit. Gray moaned once more, louder this time, and gave another tug to my hair. The taste was… interesting, but not bad, so I decided to begin taking some of the length into my mouth. I started with the head, feeling the throb of heated flesh in my mouth. I continued to flick my tongue around, causing more moans from Gray, who was now laying back against the pillow. The feeling of Gray's hand on my head encouraged me to take more of him into my mouth, getting lower and lower on the length until I realised I had _almost_ taken everything he had. Once I realised this I gave a few experimental sucks, which had an immediate effect on Gray.

"Ngnn… Natsu… good…" he moaned out. I would have grinned if I could, the sound of Gray's pleasure having its own _effect_ on me. "Your mouth… is so… hot…" he added a moment later. _Duh, I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer_ I wanted to say in response. Instead I began to move up and down, getting into a bobbing motion on Gray's cock. As I began to move I increased my activity around Gray's member, at each rise I would flick my tounge out to taste around the head and slit, and at each time down I would get lower than I had before, all the while my tongue exploring, tasting Gray in a completely new way. After a few moments Gray let out a slightly longer, panted breath, and the taste of Gray's precum quickly began to overtake my mouth, spurring me into a faster-paced rhythm. _That taste…_ I thought absently, relishing in it. "F-fuck… Natsu…" Gray said in between a few panted breathes.

Soon I could not take it anymore and my free hand trailed down to my member, rubbing it through the fabric. I moaned out, the vibrations travelling around Gray's cock, making him moan once more. "Mmmnn…" I moaned. As soon as I had begun Gray's hands fisted in my hair, a tight pressure that felt oddly pleasurable.

"Natsu… I'm getting… close" Gray warned me. I stopped rubbing myself, aware that I couldn't allow myself to release whist I was doing this with Gray. I looked up to meet his desperate gaze, and I suddenly craved the taste of his seed in my mouth. After a few more bobs of my head I used my tounge to flick Gray's slit three times, lapping up the precum that was there in the process. This seemed to push him over the edge, as Gray let out a long, beautiful moan. "Natsu… coming… NATSU… NATSU…" he shouted with increasing fervor, moaning my name repeatedly as ropes of hot, white cum filled my mouth. I had stopped my bobbing as soon as I felt him stiffen, swallowing as much of Gray's seed as I could. Gray twitched a little in pleasure, however soon his orgasm subsided and I took his member out of my mouth.

"H-how was… it?" I asked him, as I crawled back up to lie beside the Ice mage.

Gray grinned brightly, bringing his hand to my cheek and using his thumb to stop the single drop of seed that threatened to escape my mouth. "It was great" he said happily, "I love that you can do this, although…" he looked down to see the tent that was still in my pants. I followed his gaze, before we both looked at each other again. I brought his face close to mine and kissed him, tongue entering his mouth uninvited. He moaned a little and gripped me tightly as he tasted himself on my invading muscle, the moist cavern reverberating against my lips.

"It's fine" I answered him when we pulled apart. "I can sort it out myself but-"

"Can I watch?" Gray asked me quickly. I furrowed my brows.

"You want to watch me masturbate?" I asked for clarification. He grinned.

"You've seen me come" he said, "I wanna see you, and since I can't cause it myself…" he chuckled darkly.

A thought struck me as Gray held me close. "If you want to _help_ … there might be a way" I said. Gray dropped his dark, devilish look and instead looked at me confusedly.

"What is it?" he asked, "I'll do pretty much anything"

I chuckled, happy that he was so willing, "You can kiss me and stuff, just don't touch my cock" I said to him. Gray nodded, the dark and devilish look returning to his eyes.

"Okay, I can _definitely_ do that" he said confidently. I snorted with a short laugh, before bringing him in for a kiss, removing my pants in the process. _At least I can get this close to him, so long as I don't let him touch my hard on it should be alright_ I thought, as my hand began to stroke my own member.

"Fuck…" I moaned out a little. Gray laughed as he took the opportunity to reach an arm around me and squeeze my ass.

"Is it okay if I do this?" he asked amusedly. I nodded, breathing a little heavier as he fondled my ass with one hand and began playing with my nipple in the other.

"Fuck yes!" I shouted. _Even if he can't fuck me he can still help me_ I thought, as Gray enjoyed his new role. After a few minutes I felt a great heat buildup in the lower half of my body. My hand flew up and down my length rapidly, Gray still insisting on attacking my nipples and playing with my ass. "F-fu… fuck…" I said, before stiffening up. "Gray… gotta stop... now…" I warned him. He immediately withdrew his hands, before I released my load over my chest. "GRAY" I exclaimed as I climaxed.

Once it was over I lay back, careful not to get any mess anywhere else. Gray looked at me intently. "Done?" he asked me. I nodded and accepted the fleeting kiss he offered. "Why'd you ask me to stop at the end?"

"I'm not sure… if you touching me when I come will… you know… do anything" I replied honestly. Gray nodded.

"At least I can help you out, sort of" he said, before rolling over for a second to check the time, "But I guess you're gonna have to get cleaned up before we go out to meet the others at breakfast" Gray stated. I nodded.

"Yeah, Sting and Rogue are there so we're _both_ gonna shower" I said. Gray nodded in understanding. _If those two smelled us as we are, they could very well guess what's going on between us._

"Okay, do you want to shower together?" he asked, a sly grin on his face. I tousled his hair with my clean hand before replying.

"Yeah, but make sure we aren't _too_ clingy in there. Otherwise the smell will still be there" I said. Gray nodded and got up, heading for the bathroom.

"Come on then" he gestured for me to follow with his hand before walking inside. I laughed and followed the naked, raven haired wizard inside. _Today's already become a great day_ I thought happily.

/

 **A little while later**

After cleaning ourselves up and getting dressed we went to meet the others at the dining hall. Stepping out into the early morning sunlight I breathed in deep, the salty smells of the sea air and the deep, earthy smells of the forest refreshing to my senses. Especially after the scents of that _activity_ me and Gray had just undergone. Gray locked the door whilst I looked out, analyzing the trees with my enhanced Dragon Slayer vision. "Anything up there you can see?" Gray asked, stepping to stand beside me.

I shook my head and smiled at him. "Nope, just trees and plants" I answered. Gray nodded and gestured with his head towards the building where breakfast would be served.

"Alright then, I'm sure you'd notice if anything was wrong" he said confidently. I continued to smile happily, even more so after the praise from Gray.

"Let's go, I'm hungry" I said. Gray chuckled. "What's so funny?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Not much… it's just, you're the one who's just had _something to eat_ and yet you're complaining about being hungry" Gray laughed.

I shook my head and lightly punched Gray in the arm. "Graaay. Don't say stuff like that" I said.

"Why, you afraid someone'll hear?" he asked. I nodded.

"I know I said I don't mind people knowing, but… I think there's a way you should tell them, rather than just springing it on them" I stated. Gray shrugged.

"I suppose you have a point" he admitted as we began walking off towards the dining hall. We entered the building and were met with a few looks by the people inside.

"What were you two laughing about?" Lucy asked us.

We shrugged. "Not much, good morning Sting" I said to the blond, who was sitting with Rogue slightly farther away from the Celestial wizard who had greeted us first.

Gray sat opposite Lucy and I sat beside him. "Good morning Natsu. Good morning Gray" Sting called out to us. I looked up at Gray, who smiled at the White Dragon Slayer.

"Good morning" he said. _He's being friendlier to Sting today_ I noted, before looking over to the place where he and Rogue sat. I noticed that they were whispering something between themselves, with the occasional glance over to me and Gray. _Have they noticed something?_ I thought quickly, looking to Gray, who was distracted talking to Lucy, _Did we not shower enough?_

"Is something up Natsu?" Lucy asked me suddenly. I shook my head.

"Nope. Why'd you ask?" I replied hesitantly. She pouted.

"Only, it looked like you were eyeing Sting up suspiciously to me" she said. I noticed Gray's attention flick to the blond Dragon Slayer and then to me.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just looking at them because I thought Rogue looked a bit sun burned, that's all" I lied. Lucy shrugged and quickly glanced over to the pair.

"I don't think he looks that bad" she said, before noting that Erza walked in. "Hey, Erza" she greeted the redhead, who walked over to us. Whilst the two girls were distracted talking to each other, Gray whispered something to me. " _Did Sting do something?_ "

/

 **Gray POV**

I noticed Natsu getting distracted by something, however Lucy was too busy chatting with me to give me time to ask him about it. "So I was thinking that we should go to Lamia Scale before we leave, it's close and I bet you'd be happy to see Lyon, right?" she asked me. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess" I replied casually.

"Oh come on, you haven't seen him in ages and _that_ 's all you have to say" she scolded me somewhat, "I bet we could persuade Walter to let us, if you seemed like you really wanted to go, then again…" she paused and looked over to Natsu beside me. "Is something up Natsu?" she asked him suddenly.

 _Now's my chance to see what's bothering him_ I thought. "Nope. Why'd you ask?" Natsu replied. He was lying and I could tell. He glanced up at me as Lucy pressed him for answers. "Only, it looked like you were eyeing Sting up suspiciously to me". At the mention of the blond Dragon Slayer my eyes jumped to where he and Rogue were sitting, mumbling about something between themselves, with an occasional glance up at me and Natsu. I realised immediately what Natsu might be worrying about. _Did those two smell what we did?_ I thought.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just looking at them because I thought Rogue looked a bit sun burned, that's all" Natsu lied once more. Lucy shrugged and glanced over at the two before responding. "I don't think he looks that bad" she said, before her eyes jumped over to the arrival of Erza into the room.

Once the two were distracted talking to each other I began to whisper to Natsu. " _Did Sting do something?_ " I asked him, trying to see what he was worrying about exactly, before I made any assumptions. Natsu looked at me, our eyes meeting, and I knew that he was thinking the same thing as me.

" _I think he might_ know _…_ " Natsu said quietly. I nodded and glanced up at the arrival of another wizard. Blake entered wearing the same dark black suit as he had the previous day.

He bowed to everyone politely before writing something in the air.

I'M SORRY I'M LATE, I WILL GET STARTED ON BREAKFAST NOW, IT SHOULD BE READY QUICKLY

He wrote. Sting shrugged from his seat. "It's okay Blake" he said. The dark wizard had been preparing all meals since our arrival, and it seemed that on top of being a powerful wizard, he was also very capable in the kitchen. Blake bowed out before running off to prepare us food. I felt bad allowing him to make all of our meals, however at the same time I was happy since he was such a good cook. As soon as Blake was gone I looked back to Natsu.

"Are you sure he knows, or are you guessing?" I asked him. Natsu shrugged.

"Guessing, but it's kinda likely" he replied, before smiling to Erza.

"What are you two mumbling about?" the redhead asked us. I sighed, I wasn't going to deal with an Erza inquisition right now.

"Nothing, we just forgot something in the room. Come on Natsu, let's go find it" I said, getting up and beginning to walk out, Natsu following quickly behind.

"Where are you two off to?" Cyrus asked us on our way out. The brunette had been about to enter the room and check on everyone, but we had run into him before he could.

"We just forgot something in our room, we'll be back in a minute" I said to him coldly. Natsu remained quiet. The brunette sighed and proceeded to go inside, only calling back at the last minute.

"Fine. Be back here quickly, if Blake finishes making food I'll go knock on your door" Cyrus said. I nodded to the retreating figure of him.

"Yeah, fine… okay…" I said, before focusing on getting back to the apartment.

/

"He didn't say anything, did he?" I asked Natsu when we were in the room. The pinkette shook his head.

"I couldn't hear what they were saying… but I don't think they mentioned us" he said. I sighed, having them know was not what I wanted.

"Okay, we'll just have to keep quiet and be careful. If they seem like they _know_ then we're just gonna have to make something up" I said. Natsu pouted.

"We could just tell 'em, Sting and Rogue are both Dragon Slayers, so they'll know about Mates and stuff, I don't think they'd say anything. They might even know ways around the mating bond stuff so we can do more _things_ together" Natsu said. I looked at him incredulously. He seemed calm about this so I tried to keep a level head too.

"That's true, however… I didn't think this'd be how people would find out about us" I said, going and sitting on the sofa. Natsu joined me and put an arm around my waist.

"I know this isn't what you wanted, but it might work out" he said calmly, rubbing circles into the small of my back with his hand. _That feels nice… but it doesn't stop the worrying feeling in my gut_ I thought.

"I… just don't know Natsu. Sting could use this to his advantage, since he seems to like you" I said, before realising what I had just said.

Natsu's hand stopped moving. "How many times to I have to tell you Gray, _Sting isn't into me like that!_ " Natsu said with an annoyed tone. I hung my head.

"I know, it just slipped out" I said apologetically. Natsu sighed and held my head up by my chin.

"It's okay, I'm not mad" he said, before kissing my cheek. We sat together in quiet for a few moments before Natsu spoke again. "Should we go back, Cyrus said breakfast would be done soon".

I shook my head. "I don't want to go back yet, could you just… sit with me here" I asked. Natsu nodded and I rested my head on his shoulder. He was radiating warmth and, mixed with the movements of his hand on my back, I was feeling a little calmer.

Suddenly a knock at the door interrupted us. "It's probably Cyrus" I said. Natsu nodded and got up.

"You sit there; I'll get it" the Fire Dragon Slayer said. I nodded and breathed in. _I'm not going back yet._ I heard Natsu open the door, but instead of hearing the berating tone of Cyrus I was met with an unexpected sound.

"Hey Natsu, can I come in? I wanted to speak to you guys about something" It was Sting. _Fuck… no…_ I cursed inwardly.

/

 **Walter POV**

I sat at my desk in the Fairy Tail guildhall. It had been only one day since Natsu and the others had gone to the hideaway. _I wonder how they're doing?_ I thought as I skimmed over some of the reports I had on my desk. The Magic Council was still a little disorganized and Lahar had sent me some security stuff to fill in. "Like I have time for this when I've got under three months before that damned ritual" I cursed aloud. I shifted the pile of pointless paperwork to the side and found the three reports I had been sent, one from Mermaid Heel and two from Lamia Scale. Reading over their contents I had a gut wrenching feeling.

The reports were both only a few days old, with the third, the newest report from Lamia scale arriving only this morning. Reading over the Mermaid's report first I noticed a disturbing few lines. _New group of individuals in town… one young boy… powerful magical energy…_ This was too coincidental I noted as I read the Lamia scale report too, only to see some disturbing similarities. The older report from Lamia Scale also described a dangerous scene. _Group of people… Young boy with powerful magical energy… Jura wary…_ I noted before thinking, _what could cause a Wizard Saint to be afraid other than a Nightmare_?

Finally, I looked over the newest report. My eyes went wide as I read it.

 _Report to Walter of Triplet Code;_

 _After following the Young Boy at a distance Leon noticed that he regularly visited the eastern area of the village. We decided to observe the inn where the boy sleeps, but by this morning he was gone, with no trace as to where he left. Jura noted that his magic seemed to be supportive in nature, although he could not be sure. Request advice._

 _Ooba Babasaama, Guild Master_

I sighed and thumped my fist on the desk. "If that was a Nightmare then it deliberately allowed them to follow it. However,…" I said aloud, pinching the bridge of my nose. _There is no Nightmare that takes the form of a young boy… unless…_

"IF THAT WAS HOPE THEN HE WAS AFTER NATSU" I blurted out suddenly, standing up out of my chair. I quickly found a piece of paper and wrote a few simple sentences on it. NIGHTMARE MAY BE COMING. SPOTTED NEAR LAMIA SCALE. COULD BE HOPE. SHORE UP DEFENSES I wrote. Once that was done I folded the paper and placed it on my desk.

"Requip" I commanded, a glow forming around my hands. After a moment a tiny metallic bird appeared in my cupped hands. I attached the note to its leg and brought it to the window. "Fly off and give this message to Cyrus or Blake. Off you go" I nudged the bird, before it flew off. Watching it go I hoped it would get to them quickly. "Now I'm going to have to keep a watch from here" I stated to myself, before going back to my desk. "I'll write to each guild telling them to be on the lookout for this boy, whoever or whatever he is" I said, getting out a few pieces of blank paper to write on.

 _No way am I letting them get their hands on Natsu, or that power inside of him. I've lost one person I love to this darkness; I'm not letting someone else lose the person they love too._

 _Not ever._

 **Chapter 17 End**

 **Next Chapter; Loved By A Dragon**

 **Authors Note; Hey guys, hope you're all liking the story so far. I'm just making this note to thank you all for reading it, and putting up with my timings for uploads. I've released chapters 16 and 17 on the same day as a show of good faith, since I'm going on holiday for two weeks I won't be uploading for a little while, big sorry there. I hope you can all bear with me and I'll have a new chapter out for you all when I get back, alright? See you all soon :)**


	18. Chapter 18 - Loved By A Dragon

**Hey guys, I'm back again after my little sojourn. I hope you didn't miss me to much. ^^**

 **Here's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Chapter 18 – Loved By A Dragon**

 **Sting POV**

I stood at Natsu and Gray's door, a few confusing questions whizzing around inside my head. _They could just have smelled like that because they are sharing a room or something_ I thought, _But it was_ really _quite a strong scent. Plus they have been acting weirdly…_

I knocked on the door, hearing only faint mutterings inside. When it opened I smiled broadly, hoping that I wasn't disturbing something important. "Hey Natsu, can I come in? I wanted to speak to you guys about something" I said friendlily. I saw Gray sitting on a sofa further in, an almost stricken look on his face. Natsu seemed frozen in place.

"Err… yeah… come in… Sting" the Fire Dragon Slayer muttered to me. I nodded at him.

"Thanks" I said, moving into the room. _Yeah… something is definitely going on_ I thought. "I guess you guys are busy, but I just figured I should ask you this" I said, looking around the room. It was more spacious than the one me and Rogue had been assigned. A comfortable carpet, with two larger, comfy-looking sofas. And one bed. I glanced around the room, my eyes stopping on the _single_ bed. "Err… this place is pretty nice… is there another bedroom next door?" I asked them, gesturing to the door near the bed. Natsu rubbed the back of his head.

"You came here to ask us that?" he asked carefully, Gray remaining quiet. I shook my head.

"No. It's just… there's only one bed" I pointed out, "Have you been sharing one?" _That could be the reason…_

Natsu seemed to go a little red. "Oh… well…" he stammered and looked to Gray.

Gray stood up. "Walter gave us his room. Whilst he said the other rooms had all been set up with two beds, he didn't have time to do our room, so we've kinda been sharing" the Ice mage explained, "We didn't tell people because they thought it might be a little weird or something. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before, sometimes we have to on jobs, you know" he added. I nodded in understanding. _I suppose it's possible…_

"Yeah, that makes sense. Don't worry, I won't say anything either" I said, holding my arms out in an open shrug. "It's not like it's _my_ business anyways" I added with a slight smile, observing their reactions. Natsu and Gray each smiled, and I could smell the nervousness radiating off of them. Plus, another scent coming from the bed. _So lying is what they're gonna stick to then? Well… whatever… guess I can try to coax the info out of them later_ I thought. "Right well… that does sort of answer the question I had actually" I stated, noting the look of slight relief on Natsu's face, a smirk forming on my own face. "I thought you two had some kind of weird relationship or something… since your scents seemed a little different this morning I thought you two might have _done_ something" I let the word hang in the air a moment, "But I think it's probably just because you're sharing a bed" I concluded. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, probably" he replied, "I guess that would make our scent's mix a bit" he added.

I nodded before moving towards the door. "Well since that's cleared up I guess I'll leave you two to continue searching for that thing you left" I stated. Gray opened the door for me a with a little smile.

"Okay. But… could you make sure you keep this quiet, I don't want Erza or Lucy making a big fuss" he asked. I nodded.

"Sure, of course I will" I said, "Oh… and Cyrus had asked me to come and get you so I'd probably be making my way down there soon, okay?" I walked out of the apartment building with a grin on my face. _I guess those two must be a little more 'open' than I thought… but really… I never thought that they'd be in a relationship, especially since they seemed to fight so much_ I thought, before another thought passed through my head, _But I guess the same could be said for me and Rogue…_

I re-entered the dining hall to be met with a stern look from Cyrus. "That wasn't what I'd call a 'quick knock', but I assume they're making their way here now, yes?" he stated. I nodded.

"Yeah, they're coming, just give them a few more minutes" I said, the grin never leaving my features as I went to retake my seat beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer. _This new development could be_ very _interesting._

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gray closed the door behind Sting, a nervous smile on his face. Once it was shut he sighed loudly. "I don't think he believed it" he stated pessimistically. I shook my head.

"I'm sure he doesn't suspect us… or at least he smelled like he was telling the truth" I replied, taking a set on the sofa, Gray quickly rejoining me.

"I'll trust you for now Natsu, but if he even looks at you with any kind of… er… _intent_ , then I'm going to drag him outside and _question_ him thoroughly" the Ice mage stated.

"Fine, I know you'd do it, and I know how jealous you can be so the sooner it is sorted out the better" I stated, before pulling Gray into a sweet kiss.

"I guess we need to go back, if Cyrus wants us to. I don't want Erza getting pissed at us for being late either" Gray said. I nodded and stood up quickly.

"Come on then" I extended an arm to him and he took it for me to pull him up. I knew he didn't need any kind of help, however I still always liked to give it as often as possible.

"Yeah, let's go" he replied.

/

We returned to the dining hall where everyone was already eating. Cyrus had a serious expression on as he tapped his foot in an annoyed rhythm. "You two were gone far too long. Blake has made your breakfast, it's over there" the brunette Script mage pointed to a table near to where Lucy and Erza were sat. Several plates of food were sat with a wide variety of dishes available. "Eat up, then we'll discuss matters of the day as usual" Cyrus added, before stalking off to the kitchen in search of Blake.

Me and Gray looked sheepishly at each other as we sat down. I eyed up several of the meat plates and began piling my own plate up with the food. Gray seemed a little reserved, but he was also hungry. The energy I had used up in our little 'activity' earlier that morning was in a desperate need of replacing and Gray seemed to almost match me with the amount of food he had piled up on his plate. He grinned at me. "It's been a while since we had an eating contest" he stated. I nodded with a grin.

"Way too long" I agreed. We each nodded to one another and after a second of eyeing each other we both dived into of our breakfasts, our competitive nature getting the best of each of us. We did not stop until all the food on our table was completely clear, then we sat back in our chairs and patted our stomachs. "I think… I won that" I said. Gray laughed.

"Nah, we both tied I think" he said, "Flame Brain".

"Maybe, Ice Princess" I said, "How about we say it's a draw since I don't think I can eat anything else just to prove you wrong" I added. Gray nodded.

"I agree" he said. Lucy gave us each an annoyed sigh.

"You two are pigs. Why can't you have a normal breakfast like most people?" she said. I shrugged.

"Come on Lucy, we were just having some fun" I said. Erza seemed to smile in approval.

"A warrior cannot fight on an empty stomach. I'm sure they'll burn off all that with a good swim later. Or how about you join me for a run?" the redhead asked.

"No thanks Erza, I think we'll stick to swimming" Gray said. Erza turned her attention to the door where Cyrus and Blake entered from.

"Now that you're all done eating I just wish to discuss some matters of safety with you all" the Script mage started upon entering once again. "The area is home to several very _sizable_ insects. They don't pose much of a threat at the minute, however… there was a group of them poking around the edges of our little settlement earlier, so if everyone could just be aware of them, and only attack if absolutely necessary" he explained. There was a general acceptance amongst everyone, and then Cyrus allowed us to leave, using an enchantment to have the plates and dishes clean themselves.

Once me and Gray were back in our apartment I stripped down to my underwear and found my swimming trunks. Gray did the same but stopped me before we could get changed. I could smell his arousal already, a slight grin forming on my face. "You know… we aren't supposed to go swimming for a little while after eating" he said, his hands wrapping around my waist and holding me close to him. I ran my hands up his back.

"I guess so… but _what_ could we do if we aren't allowed to swim?" I said pseudo-innocently. Gray raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know" he said, before pushing me down onto the bed, "But I guess since we've already been sort-of caught once, we shouldn't do it again…" he added. I kissed him fleetingly.

"I guess so… so how about we just do _this_ " I said before pulling him down onto the bed and crawling on top of him. He looked up at me expectantly and I smiled, giving a subtle, dark chuckle, before laying down on top of him and pushing my tongue into his mouth.

Gray moaned a little as we made out.

/

After a few hours of swimming and laying around on the beach me and Gray stood and went to go to our apartment to shower before lunch. Sting, who had joined us insisting it was 'his turn to look after me', laughed as he waved us off, the ever-present grin on his admittedly good-looking features.

"See you after lunch then" he said, " _Don't be too late_ ".

When we finished our make-out session we jumped into the shower to clean off any 'scent' that could be left over, before heading out to the beach. Gray had been annoyed to find the blond waiting for us at the beach. He, quite surprisingly, hadn't objected to having Gray stick around, and had even dragged Rogue along so we could play some ball games on the sands. Once me and Gray had enough we went swimming, the White Dragon Slayer had been hot on our heels, suggesting a variety of races and challenges. I had been quite enthusiastic, since I liked the blond Guild master's company, however I noted that Gray was still watching Sting carefully despite his apparent 'friendliness' towards him. He still wasn't sure whether Sting knew anything, or at least suspecting anything, and whilst I was confident at first, I thought some of the comments made by the other Dragon Slayer made me think he did suspect _something_ , whatever it was.

"I still don't think he suspects us" I said to Gray as we stripped naked and hopped into the shower for the third time that day. Normally I would try to put of washing too often, but I didn't want to risk our scents becoming too obvious, especially after what happened earlier.

"I'm starting to think you're right, he didn't seem too weird with us so it could be that we fooled him…" Gray said, turning the water on. We stood embraced under the water, quietly talking about what to do should Sting try anything.

"We just need to be careful. The sea water should help with the smell" I said, speaking from experience. "Even my nose can't tell things apart when they're all salty from the sea" I added with a cocky grin.

"Alright, I trust you Natsu so if you're sure then we'll be careful" he said before looking me up and down. Water dripped and flowed down my torso, just as it did across Gray's.

Gray smiled back at me as he stood close, wanting me to dry him. I had only done this a few times for him, however I always loved the look on Gray's face each time I did it. I called on my magic to summon up flames around us. They danced in the air, only a fraction off of our skin, hot, but not unbearable. The water on our skin quickly disappeared and I savored the look Gray's face made as he watched the flames, his hand clasped in my own, his eyes full of interest and love. "You know I always loved to see you use your magic, right?" Gray said as we stepped out of the bath room to get changed into some clothes so we could eat lunch with the others.

"I know you do, because I love seeing you use your magic too. Just like I love you, popsicle" I said with a smile.

Gray laughed and gave me a quick kiss before leaving the room. "Me too, dragon breath" he retorted. "It's a shame we can't use our magic together, what with mine being Ice and yours being Fire" he added as he locked the door on our way out. "I would love to do a unison raid with you".

"So would I… maybe…" I left it unsaid; the single thought that as Mates we might be able to do a unison raid, and so much more.

"It's alright, we're strong enough together as it is" Gray said, running a hand through my hair to ruffle it.

"Yeah, I suppose we are" I said before running off with him to the dining hall. "But I'm faster than you, snowman" I called out to him as a challenge.

/

 **General POV, a little while later**

The shadow of a young boy could just be made out in amongst the leaves and foliage that surrounded the cove area. Sting, Natsu, Gray and the others all were playing volleyball on the beach. Laughing and calling out to each other the redhead played alongside Rogue and Sting, whilst her Fairy Tail compatriots viciously launched the ball at them. There was no sign of Cyrus and Blake had entered his workroom in the place where he slept.

"Good. They're all out of the way" Hope said, a devious smirk twisted on his innocent-seeming features. "Now let's see if those two idiots can place my little _control measure_ in place" he laughed.

Down below Madness and Sanity slunk about the white buildings. Move quickly and silently they made a dash to the building where Natsu and Gray lived. Sanity placed his hand to the locked door, after a brief moment the faint _click_ of the lock sounded and the two went inside unseen. Once inside Sanity vented his frustration. "Damn that Hope. Getting us so close to our targets is dangerous".

"Place seal. Place seal" Madness chattered, before a glazed look overtook his eyes. After a moment the man-animal stood up straight. "Ah, that's better. I feel a bit more _stable_ now" he said.

Sanity glanced over at his brother. "So you finally reverted. I always hate your power. Turning yourself into an animal is such an annoyance to deal with. Don't use it again unless we need to" he stated, before fishing the carefully folded paper out of one of his pockets.

He unfolded it and the image of a magic circle became visible. A simple, but deadly curse, it should prove sufficient enough to deal with the troublesome Ice mage, should it be required. "Hurry and place it, dear Sanity. I may _have_ to revert if we need to escape. Only my power renders us unperceivable to the enemy. And I can only use it as that damned animal" Madness stated. Sanity nodded, before Madness held up the bed that Natsu and Gray shared. His strength would impress most, but the Nightmare had seen far more dangerous and deadly powers than a bit of simple brawn. Hope's abilities were among those he would admit to fearing.

Not wanting to delay any longer than necessary Sanity placed the seal, activating it, and having Madness quickly place the bed back as it was. Once that was done the two carefully exited the room, with Sanity using his powers to once more lock the door on their way out.

Standing beside Hope a moment later the two twin Nightmares grinned. "It is done" Sanity stated to the young boy.

Hope nodded. "I had gathered that much, foolish Sanity" he stated, before tipping his imaginary cap. "I commend you for your stealth though. Remaining undetected for this long this close to even two of those damned Triplet Code takes skill. Skill your brother has that you sorely lack though, am I right?" the young-looking Nightmare did not wait for a response, but smiled at the sight scowl he received. "Don't worry. Your powers, Sanity, will be what ultimately wins us this discrete battle. Once that _certain activity_ is done by the target, the pesky Ice mage will be dead and gone".

Sanity nodded as Madness cocked his head. "Someone, or something, approaches. We must hide" Madness stated. The three nodded to each other and vanished into the brush. Their presence still hidden despite all that was about to happen. Soon they would know of the power of the Nightmares. And Natsu would be punished for resisting it.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We finished our game of volleyball with a tied score. Me and Gray, deciding to take a swim, leapt into the water. We checked to see if Sting was going to follow us, however he waved at us from the beach.

"I'm a little tired after that game, you guys can go swim if you want, I'll wait here" he called out to us.

We nodded and headed off into the further water, discreetly swimming off to 'our' beach. We raced each other, with us both reaching the small, secluded strip of sandy beach area simultaneously. Exhausted we flopped down in the sand, content smiles on our faces. I turned to look at Gray, interlocking our fingers. "Well… that was… fun…" I said breathlessly. Gray nodded and smiled, panting as hard as me.

"Yeah…" he agreed. "We need to have breaks like this more often".

"You mean you want me to be threatened more often?" I asked him with a mock sniff. Gray shook his head, but laughed.

"No, of course not, you flame brain" he said, before curling up beside me. "I want you to be safe but I would also like to be able to lie with you like this, on our own little beach" Gray added, closing his eyes as he rested his head on my chest. I threaded the hand that wasn't clasping Gray's through the raven locks of my boyfriend's hair, loving the feel of the silky smooth hair beneath my fingers, with only a small amount of sea salt from the swim. "If we _could_ have all that, but we had to be open about our relationship, would you agree to it?" I asked, prying a little.

Gray opened his eyes and met my gaze. "Do we have to talk about all that stuff again? Right now?" he asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"Sorry, no we don't" I said. _I just really want him to be happy with me… we really could be mates and I think I'd… like that_ I thought distractedly, my gaze swiveling forwards, from my boyfriend's face to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to dip. Gray seemed to look out at the beautiful scene too. I'd always found it comforting to watch the big ball of flames and heat, the disc of sun in the sky, it invigorated something in me. But laying down with Gray, with the comfort of his weight beside me, I realised I loved being able to do this even more. _If only he would just agree to be my mate…_ I thought a little more solemnly. Gray stirred beside me and I flicked my gaze back down in time to see him lean up and kiss me. "You looked so happy when we first _did_ that stuff, this morning" he stated randomly. I gave a look of confusion that seemed to make him smile brighter. "I mean, you looked _really_ happy that you could get to do that. It made me feel… happy for letting you. I had masturbated before, but I guess you probably guessed that" I nodded, "So I realised that you must not have done _anything_ before to be so happy from just _that_. Is that right?" Gray asked me.

I nodded. "With Dragon Slayers… it's kinda difficult for me to _get hard_ without someone there, someone I love. So I hadn't done anything like that before, properly. I did use some stuff a couple of times and do stuff like what we did, but not…" I trailed off.

Gray kissed me again. "I feel good, for letting you do that. I just wanted you to know. Especially since you were thinking of mating stuff again" he stated matter-of-factly.

"How did you know?" I asked without thinking.

Gray smirked. "You're eyes are beautiful Natsu. They have a fire in them… but that fire changes when you think about mating, it get's… I don't know… brighter I guess" Gray explained. "I honestly have been thinking about that stuff too and I think…" he paused, "I think I might choose you as a mate, if you wanted to" he finished.

"Really?!" I leapt up happily. Gray looked up at me with a smile.

"Yeah, but… can we wait just a bit longer? I said I _think_ I would… I definitely love you, and when Sting came to our room before I realised I was dying just to blurt out that we were together" he said. I looked at him incredulously.

"You're not making this up Gray, are you? Because if you are I'm going to punch you" I said with a mixture of hope and suspicion. _Gray wouldn't do that to me_ I thought hopefully, although a dark part of my mind thought this was too good to be true.

"Of course I'm not making this up, flame brain, that would be awful. Especially since I know how important mating is to you" Gray said with shock.

I lowered my head. "Sorry, I just wanted to be sure. You know how I feel about you, and yes, I do want to be your mate. But if you want some more time that's okay with me, _you_ have to choose me, not the other way around" I explained. Gray nodded.

"How about we make a little bet?" he said. I cocked my head and waited for him to explain what he meant. "I bet that we beat… um… three Nightmares in the next month" he said.

"Okaaaay…" I said, still confused. He continued smirking.

"If I win that bet then you've got to take me out on a big date, where _you_ pay, and then if you really do want to be mates… then you've got to get on one knee and ask me" Gray stated. I couldn't stop the grin that crept up on my face.

"Fine. I bet that we beat _four_ Nightmares in the next month and if _I_ win then _you_ take _me_ on a big date and then you've got to get on one knee and propose to _me_ , alright?" I said. Gray nodded and let go of my hand, which he was still holding.

He stood a pace away from me and offered me his hand once more, this time to shake. "Deal" he said. I shook his hand.

"Deal" I agreed, before using the grip to pull him in for a kiss rather than a handshake.

/

After our agreement me and Gray decided to head back to the main beach. We divided back into the water with fresh enthusiasm, only to be met with a group on the shore. Swimming at high speed we reached everyone. Cyrus was standing in the center of the group holding a piece of paper, looking grimly at us as we arrived.

"What's going on?" Gray asked as we dragged ourselves up the sand. Lucy looked confused, Rogue was stoic as usual, and Sting seemed to look carefully between both me and Gray.

"Um…" Cyrus stuttered, clearly shaken by something which the others didn't understand.

"What's happened?" I asked, from their scents I could tell it was something big.

"A letter just arrived from Walter" Cyrus said. Now I noticed the metallic bird sitting on the brunette's head, awaiting further use. "Here" he handed it to Gray, who held it so we could both read it. My eye's ran quickly over the short note.

NIGHTMARE MAY BE COMING. SPOTED NEAR LAMIA SCALE. COULD BE HOPE. SHORE UP DEFENSES

"What's Hope?" I asked Cyrus. I could tell it was something bad, but I wasn't fully sure.

Cyrus straightened up. "It's a problem. I guess you don't remember the meeting much but Hope is one of the two Nightmares with the power to resurrect fallen Nightmares. It was the one we feared would come after you, and it looks like we were right" he stated, voice turning coldly logical. "I will set about shoring up the defenses immediately, because if Hope is indeed behind this then what we have currently will not be enough".

Gray kept a steady hold of the letter as I felt anger build inside me. "If they're coming let them come, because if anyone threatens us, threatens our guild, then I will turn 'em all to ashes" I stated. Cyrus shook his head dismissively.

"The Nightmare of Hope would kill everyone here, me and Blake included, in a matter of seconds, and then… after resurrecting the Succubus using you, he would take great pleasure in making you observe as he did something _horrific_ to all of our bodies" the Script mage stated flatly. "I've seen him do that very thing to others before you".

I felt even greater rage rattle inside my head as Cyrus' words hit me. _No one will lay a FINGER on Gray whilst I'm alive_ I thought heatedly. Gray maintained his quiet as Erza began speaking.

"If this is as much of a danger as you say we should request assistance from Lamia Scale and Sabertooth. We should also all be confined to our quarters if we are going to do anything _reckless_ " she directed the latter part to me personally, however I was still fuming too much to listen.

"I WILL DESTROY ANYONE WHO TRIES TO HURT MY FRIENDS!" I barked loudly.

"Calm down Natsu" Lucy yelped. Fire rose around me until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down Flame for Brains. Nothing's gonna happen. Even if that Nightmare is as powerful as what Cyrus says there's six of us here already, and we can get Jura, Lyon, Sherria and loads of powerful wizards here to help. We're safe" Gray said. I felt a comfort from his words, however a heat, and a deep, sinking feeling weighed me down inside. _I must protect him, especially after making that deal…_ I thought. As the others continued to discuss measures we could take I glanced around to note that Sting was smirking, looking at both us, and then the rest of the group. At that moment I realised he knew _exactly_ what was going on between us. _And of course, Gray was right all along_ I added mentally. Although that was not my major most concern right that moment.

All I cared about was protecting my friends, and Gray. Especially Gray.

 **Chapter 18 End**

 **Next Chapter; Infiltrated**


	19. Chapter 19 - Infiltrated

**Chapter 19 – Infiltrated**

 **Gray POV**

After Natsu's outburst the others talked about possibilities for if the Nightmares should attack. Throughout their conversation I never removed my hand from Natsu's shoulder, knowing that he might very well explode again should I do so. I noticed Sting observe us a little and I wondered if he suspected, however I didn't really care, not with what Cyrus was explaining to us about the danger Hope posed. Once a few decisions were made Natsu turned, shrugging my hand off his shoulder as he went.

"I'm going for a swim, don't bother following me" he said bluntly to the group. Cyrus' eyes showed great restraint on his patience.

"You can't go off on your own Natsu" he stated flatly to the retreating back of my boyfriend. I held up my hand in front of Natsu, stopping his advance.

"I'll go with him" I offered. Erza seemed reluctant to allow this, however she was aware of Natsu's temper, just as all of us were.

"You _shouldn't_ go off on your own Natsu, Cyrus is right" the redhead stated. Cyrus frowned.

"We should have everyone go inside, me and Blake will shore up defenses whilst you all whittle away the time" the Script mage stated, however Natsu had already dived into the water.

"Natsu, wait!" Lucy shouted after him. I sighed and ploughed through the water after him.

"Erza and Cyrus are right, you can't go off on your own. I'll go with him" I shouted back, "You start building up the defenses or whatever, I'll drag him back if I have to" I added. I saw Natsu pout a little, nearly out of sight now. Erza called something out about getting back as soon as possible, but I could barely make out her words from the water. "Don't worry, just prepare" I shouted, making an educated guess as to where Natsu was going. "Damn it Natsu, just when things looked better it gets fucking worse" I cursed furiously.

/

As I swam to the secluded beach, 'our beach', I saw Natsu climb out of the water and slump down onto the sand where only minutes ago we had just been so happy. As I approached he gave an annoyed grunt, not speaking to me and looking instead to the rocks nearby. I went to sit by Natsu, however he seemed reluctant to keep my company now, so I sat a little further away than I would have liked. Keeping quiet I chose to watch the steady rise and fall of the Fire Dragon Slayer's muscled chest. The water droplets from his swim quickly drying from both his body heat and the heat of sun above, although the orange orb was dimming into the evening sky.

Natsu's head turned to me after a few quiet moments, his pink hair now sandy and messier than usual. I could see the fires of his rage still in his deep eyes, but also something else. He kept his face level as he began to speak. "Sorry for bursting out like that" he apologised. I was surprised, he didn't usually apologise for being brash or aggressive, and despite our relationship it still took me off guard.

"Oh… er… it's fine I guess, you didn't really do anything stupid" I said in a calm tone, trying to get him to open up to me.

The fire in his eyes remained. "Are you scared Gray?" Natsu asked me a moment later. Once more he managed to take me off guard, and I furrowed my brows in confusion. "No, why'd you ask that?" I asked him back in response.

Natsu sniffed the air. "Your scent" he stated flatly.

"My scent?"

"Yeah. It smells like… fear" he said, somewhat unsurely. "Are you afraid of us being attacked?"

I thought for a moment before responding; the fiery eyes watching my every moment. _Am I afraid?_ I took a deep breath and shuffled closer to Natsu, placing a hand on his chest, which he brought a hand up to hold. "Yes, I guess… I am kinda afraid" I admitted. Natsu did not speak. "I don't want to lose you Natsu, or for you to get hurt" I added. Natsu still did not speak, not for a few moments.

"I'm… scared too" Natsu said at last. "Not scared of getting hurt, but scared of hurting you Gray".

I smiled. "I've always wanted to be with you Natsu, you know that? I figured it out when I was a kid, I liked you and it scared me, so I argued with you instead. Before, when we made our bet, I felt like I had wanted that from the very beginning. But just my luck, when we're happy we get back and look what arrived, practically a death threat" I said, before bending down to kiss Natsu.

"It's not your fault, _I_ got captured and tortured by that S _uccubus_ " he spat the word, "and now you're all in danger…"

"It's not your fault either" I defended him before he could finish. "And anyways, how can you be scared?" I stated a moment later. Natsu looked at me confusedly. I smiled again, "Remember when you tried to stop me from using Iced Shell, or when you took on Jellal, or how about when we all fought Acnologia on Tenrou?" I broadened my smile, "Were you scared then, because you didn't seem to be to me" I added. Natsu began smiling as I mentioned some of our past fights, good or bad.

"What about when you pretended to be evil, _twice_ " Natsu stated, "You tricked me and sent me into that big dragon-thing. And before, at Avatar…" he hesitated. I shook my head.

"I get it, I've tried to hurt you before, but I never thought you were _scared_ " I stated. Natsu nodded.

"I guess I wasn't" he admitted.

"No, you weren't. We've both done crazy things before, so we can't be scared now, just because were _boyfriends_ , it doesn't mean we can be wusses as well" I finished. Natsu sat up and kissed me.

"Thanks for that, Gray" he stated.

"Any time, dragon boy" I retorted.

"Shut up. I love you though, snow cone" he stated. I laughed and kissed him again.

"Whatever you say, I love you too".

/

 **Natsu POV**

We swam back a little while later. Keeping a slow pace beside each other we observed the setting sun, both thinking about our own things. I still had my angry resolution in my head; I would protect Gray and the others at all costs, however I also wanted to survive, because if I did die then it would hurt Gray. Smiling at me he brushed an arm along my side.

"Come on, we should pick up the pace, or Erza'll get angry we spent so long out here" he said to me. I nodded; an angry Erza was more frightening than facing the Nightmares, or at least it was to me.

"Yeah, let's go" I said, kicking off at an increased pace, with Gray quickly coming up beside me. We swiftly returned to the main beach, being met by both Erza and Lucy. "Have you cooled off Natsu?" Erza asked me flatly.

I nodded and cracked a small smile. "Yeah" I replied. Erza narrowed her eyes on me and I panicked a little. "Oh… sorry about my outburst" I apologised quickly. She nodded curtly with a smile. "I understand your anger, but you must be careful, especially since it's _you_ they're after" she stated. I nodded as we headed back towards the white buildings.

We bid the girls 'good night' as Gray unlocked the door to our room, both of us filing inside. He closed the door and immediately went over to one of the sofas, taking out the towel that was stashed away to the side and laying down on it whilst leaving a space beside him for me. He patted the sofa, however I remained silent and still, standing exactly where I was in the middle of the room. _Something's changed…_ I thought suddenly. I had noticed it as soon as the door had opened, a faint, almost unnoticeable, smell. _Someone broke in? Nightmares?_

"Hey Natsu, come and sit with me" Gray said from the sofa. I ignored his invitation; sniffing the air as I swiveled in my place. "What's wrong?" Gray asked me suddenly. I flicked my gaze over to him as he sat up, eyes narrowed onto me. "I… don't know. Smells weird" I said slowly, still scenting the air carefully. The strongest scent in the room came from Gray himself, as well as the bed, but underneath the salty, sandy, and Gray smells there was definitely _something_ there. I continued my sniffing, moving around the room. _Not the other rooms, definitely in here_ I noted during my search, _Not Gray. Or those sofas…_ I narrowed my vision down onto the bed. "It's something to do with the bed" I stated to Gray.

The Ice mage nodded and approached me carefully. Standing behind me ready to defend against some attack or other trap we both approached the bed. I continued sniffing, noting the smell getting stronger, but still not obvious. "Definitely under the bed" I stated to Gray, fire now warped around my fists in case there was an intruder who'd attack. We each took to one side of the furniture piece. Our eyes met and in a silent count-down we prepared. _3… 2… 1…_ We both leapt down, only to see each other on the other side of the bed. Standing embarrassedly, I met Gray's gaze once more. "Guess it's not under there?" he said, asking me for confirmation. I shook my head.

"Get over here and help me lift it" I said. Gray did and as we both heaved up the large bed we saw the source of the smell. "It's a piece of paper" I stated, looking down as I continued to hold up the bed. Gray bent down to get a closer look. "Looks like it's got some magic spell on it or something" he said. I nodded, grunting with the effort of holding the large, wooden-framed bed. The black haired man noted my grunts and slipped out from under the bed as I set it back down, breathing a little heavily. "We should get Cyrus" I stated, "He knows the most about this stuff". Gray nodded. "I'll stay here and watch over the place, you go find him" I added. At this he shook his head.

"Not happening. If it is the Nightmares, then they can obviously break into the place without being noticed, I'm not leaving you alone Natsu" Gray stated. I shook my head.

"It'll only be for a few minutes, go find him" I stood my ground, but Gray was adamant, as his eyes steeled in preparation for an argument. It was a look I had seen many times before.

"Not happening" he repeated. I sighed; he did have a point I guess, and I wouldn't leave him alone here either.

"So how are we gonna get help if we can't leave each other, and we probably shouldn't leave this alone, they might try to take it to cover their tracks. It's really hard to smell so I wouldn't be able to find 'em if they did" I stated. Gray nodded, but at that moment we heard another noise outside.

"Stop it Rogue!" it was Sting. We each looked out to the window in time to see the blond walking beside his dark companion, it looked as though Rogue had hit Sting, although he probably did deserve it. "Get Sting to look for them" Gray stated to me. I nodded, besides us and Walter it was likely only Sting, and probably the other two Triplet Code members, knew about the 'bed issue' so we could let him see in the apartment without anyone else asking us weird questions.

"Hey Sting" I called out to him as he walked up towards the dining hall. He smiled at me.

"Hey Natsu" he stated. "What's up?"

I gestured for him to come closer, Rogue watching suspiciously. "We've been broken into. There's some weird spell on the bed, and since you're the only one who knows about our little _problem_ so far can you go get Cyrus for us" I asked him. Sting's gaze hardened, he knew exactly what danger this could pose and didn't ask any questions.

"Sure" he replied, before dashing off. I returned back into the room to await the arrival of the Script mage. "Did he go?" Gray asked me. I nodded.

"Of course, he knows how serious this is" I replied calmly, guessing at what else Gray had just thought. _He does know about us, or at least guesses that we're up to something… I'll have to talk to him about it later_ I thought. Gray smiled at me.

"We'll have to ask him some questions later, won't we?" he stated. I smiled back. _Yep, he was thinking it_.

"Yeah, we will. Just to make sure he doesn't tell anyone" I said. "But he might not have guessed yet" I added hopefully. Gray shook his head.

"No offense Natsu, but it was _really_ obvious after your little outburst before" the Ice mage said flatly. I pursed my lips in an annoyed but confused fashion.

"How was I… was it really that obvious?" I asked him, Gray nodded.

"You were barking and shouting one minute, then when I started trying to calm you down you went quiet. And you never tried to remove my arm from your shoulder, I know I could be to blame there too, but still…" the raven haired man went quiet. I snuck closer to him and kissed his cheek.

"Doesn't matter really, we're gonna have to tell them all eventually. Like I said before; Sting's a Dragon Slayer, he knows how serious a relationship can be for us. He might even be able to help us out, like… if he knows how we can have more _fun_ together without us ending up mating accidentally" I said. Gray smirked darkly.

"I guess that _would_ be _pretty_ useful information" he whispered quietly. I nodded.

" _Very_ useful" I corrected, kissing him before drawing away again. The sounds of footsteps could be heard, growing nearer and louder. "Aww… Looks like we've been interrupted again" I purred as Cyrus and Sting appeared at the door.

/

"Where's the spell?" Cyrus demanded, upon entering the room. He didn't even bat an eye at the single bed; _Probably already knew from Walter_ I thought as I gestured to the bed. The Script mage nodded to me and the put a hand to the underside of the bed. I went to help him lift the bed, however he expertly flipped the bed one handed, with a somewhat loud _thud_. Staring wide-eyed at the smaller, brunette teen's display of strength I noticed Sting stood awkwardly at the door. "Master Eucliffe, if you would be so kind could you get everyone together in the dining hall" Cyrus said, more as a command than a request. Sting nodded to the brunette before gesturing to us. "Will do" he said, bowing out.

I watched him go before returning my attention to Cyrus, who stood bent over the paper, reading the magic circle on it carefully. "What's it for?" I asked him. He remained quiet, his eyes glittering in all manner of colours. _That ability… it allowed him to understand spells didn't it_ I thought carefully. Cyrus muttered as he continued to discern the spell before him. "What's it for?" I asked him again, a bit more sternly. Gray had moved to the door to close it in case anyone else would walk past and ask questions about the bed. Cyrus looked up finally, and the rainbow flecks in his eyes faded. "It's a curse spell. It'll activate and _kill_ if the preset 'situation' is fulfilled" he explained, standing up before us. Gray had moved to stand next to me, and already had his arm around my waist. _He knew that I'd get angry hearing anything bad and acted to calm me before I could_ I noted, the anger in my chest bubbling, but kept in check thanks to his presence. "What'll set it off?" he asked Cyrus. The Script mage looked away for a minute, an unusual show of embarrassment for the usually robotic boy. "Err… it'll kill you if you have sex" he said bluntly. Gray cracked a smile and chuckled. "Well no danger there then" he said, much to the surprise of Cyrus it would seem, as his hazel eyes went wide.

"Err… Gray" I interjected, "What about this morning?" I said. He looked at me with grave realisation, but Cyrus held his hand up.

"One; I think it has to be _actual_ sex, not something errr… um… _half-way_ " he said, amusingly flustered, "And two; this spell has only been here for about two hours max. Unless you've done something recently you're both safe" he added. We breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Would it kill us both? And would it be quick?" Gray asked quietly. Cyrus shook his head.

"Um… no, I'm sorry to say but it's obviously specifically written to target _you_ Gray. It would kill anyone who isn't a Dragon Slayer, so you would die but Natsu wouldn't. It would also be slow and excruciating, or at least that's what it says" Cyrus answered. I felt Gray tense a little beside me and anger rose in my throat.

"They targeted Gray" I whispered menacingly. Gray rubbed the small of my back with his hand.

"Keep calm Natsu, it was obviously done to hurt you by seeing me die" the Ice mage said coldly. I breathed in a deep, steadying breath.

"That is indeed correct, Gray" Cyrus stated, "This is all the proof I need that Hope is most definitely behind this, however a malevolent force such as his would have easily been noticed by us. There must be someone _else_ concealing their own, and Hope's, presence. That would make at least _two_ people to locate, possibly more" the Script mage analysed.

"We need to find them" I growled, "And make 'em pay for even _trying_ to hurt Gray" Cyrus shook his head.

"We must play this more cautiously. Come, we must make aware the others of the danger" he gestured to the door, "You can vent your anger later, I'll even fight you if you want" I nodded.

"Fine" I barked, still angry.

"One last thing though" Cyrus added a moment before we left. He returned to the bed and took out his pen. His eyes glittering with colour once more he began writing some complex spell in the air. I tried to trace the outlines of all the words he was writing, but they jumbled up in layer after layer of ancient language. _Not like I'd understand it anyways_ I thought. Me and Gray looked on as Cyrus returned his pen to his sleeve. Clicking his fingers, he activated his spell, "Grey Script; Virus" he commanded. The jumble of grey, glowing words, formed a sphere which sank into the paper. After a moment the magic circle changed. "That'll do it" he laughed. Gray gave a look of confusion that in any other circumstance I would have found adorably cute.

"What'd you do?" he asked. Cyrus smirked amusingly.

"I can't completely remove the curse; however, I did reverse it" he stated. Gray still looked confused.

"What good would reversing it do, wouldn't that just kill someone else?" he asked. Cyrus chuckled loudly.

"Gray… what's the opposite of pain and suffering?" he said. Gray furrowed his brows in thought for a moment, before a large grin formed on his face.

"Err… Pleasure I guess" he said. I grinned hearing the word.

"Exactly, think of this as my little present for you two" he said. My face turned sour; _But we can't have sex_ I thought. Cyrus noted my face and Gray looked at me with a quick realisation. "And I removed the need for it to be _actual_ sex" the Script mage added. Both me and Gray broke out into even larger grins than before.

"Thank you" we said in unison.

/

 **General POV**

The Nightmares stood on the same hill as always, looking out over the camp. "Looks like they've found my little gift" the small boy, Hope, said in an annoyed tone. "Oh well… that was there just as a little _extra_ , the real show is yet to come".

"Speaking of, when are we going to attack exactly? When they're on high alert?" Sanity said sarcastically, sitting against the base of a tree. Hope snorted.

"You think me a fool, foolish Sanity. I know what I'm doing. You forget, though I look the child, I am one of the oldest of us, and besides the mighty three, I'm the only other one which has had no resurrection over our times. Even you have been defeated once before, admittedly when you were whole" the well-dressed youth said.

The older man scowled. "You only have never needed reviving because you're a coward who uses other people to fight, whilst _you_ hide in the shadows".

Hope smirked. "Good to know the image I cultivated for myself has fooled even you other Nightmares. Yet another show of how much more skilled I am than you, Sanity dearest" he retorted condescendingly. "Now shush. We need to keep an eye out for what they do next, I have three responses in mind and if they follow through they'll probably end up doing at least one of these. We need to be ready" the Nightmare said in its reedy child-voice.

"Hmph… you need to learn to respect your elders, kid" Sanity mumbled.

"Fine. Go respect them, I'm older than you, remember?" Hope chirped, watching the group carefully. If all went by his plan Natsu would be captured, Succubus restored, and then Sanity and Madness could be done away with. They were only here because Hope needed them, once they were used up he could replace them with what they were originally and nothing bad would come out of it.

It was so easy for him to manipulate people he really wished for an opponent who would really challenge his abilities. _Oh well…_ he grinned in self-satisfied confidence.

/

 **At Fairy Tail**

Walter sat strumming his fingers in a rhythm on his desk. "When is Cyrus going to reply? It's not like him to keep me in suspense" he said aloud. It was unfortunate both Blake and Cyrus had gone, since it left Walter with oh-so-few people stimulating to talk to, and he didn't have his usual instrument of amusement; the horny, muscular Dragon Slayer and the cool, good-looking Ice mage.

"Now's not the time to be thinking about them like that, since they're off bounds… but perhaps I could get myself a little _fun_ to keep my spirits up" the Requip mage grinned. It had been a while since he'd hit a bar and found a good-looking guy to fool around with.

Of course, no one would replace _him_. The object of his desires as a child and now the focus of every action the Triplet Code did. _Though I still have feelings for him I must make them the knife on which I strike his heart… hey that's a pretty good line, I should write that down for my autobiography_ Walter thought, scrabbling for something to write on. He stopped as he realised it was pointless. "Damn it to hell" he cursed. ' _Never leave anything to make your mark, we must be invisible, we do what we must to defeat Function, and then we move on, in death our secret is kept'_ The first command that all three of he, Cyrus, and Blake followed.

After another hour of waiting Walter decided to take a walk around the building to clear his head. _Perhaps I should try to move them to a new place, there are several other hideouts we could use. No… that wouldn't work, they'll know the others thanks to Him._ Walter sighed, this was the first time he had ever felt actually worried about what was going to happen.

 _Plus, I can't think of anywhere safer than that cove. I'm sure that even Hope couldn't get there with all the protective spells_ Walter admitted inwardly. _Hope has the closest personality to Function… he might very well… no, even he couldn't bypass all those tricks and traps._ Walter felt firmer in his decision as he headed back his office. _Although… Function always was the cleverest… and the strongest… and the best looking…_

 _Fuck it, I'm going to a bar_.

Walter turned on his heel and headed straight out of the guild, surprising Makarov by his sudden exit as he passed the Guildmaster and his grandson. "Wonder what's got him worked up?" the tiny mage said.

"Maybe Natsu's causing problems" Laxus said from beside his grandfather, making Makarov scowl.

"If he is, I'm going to punish him until there's nothing left for the Nightmares to take; he should know how serious this is" Makarov stated, taking a large mouthful of alcohol. Laxus smirked into his beer; all he knew about the situation was that the annoying Fire Dragon Slayer was somewhere far away, where he could be anyone else's problem except his.

And that was the way Laxus preferred it.

 **Chapter 19 End**

 **Next Chapter; Calm before the Storm**


	20. Chapter 20 - Calm before the Storm

**Chapter 20 – Calm before the Storm**

 **Natsu POV**

We entered the dining room to be met with concerned eyes and faces. Blake stood at one end of the room, opposite the door, whilst Erza, Lucy, Sting and Rogue all sat around a central table. Cyrus went up to Blake and the two exchanged a glance as me and Gray joined the rest of the group. "Did someone really break into your room?" Lucy asked, both worried and confused.

I nodded, a little grimly. "Yeah, I could smell a weird scent as I walked in. Seems they put some sort of curse on Gray's bed" I answered, mostly telling the truth. Gray nodded.

"It woulda killed me, had Natsu not noticed it. I think they're trying to weaken the defenses around Natsu" the Ice mage said coolly, despite the death threat.

"I suppose killing us off would make it easier to get at Natsu" Erza agreed, not perturbed by the news of the death threat. Lucy looked at me with concern in her eyes. I could already tell what she was worrying about; whether I'd lose it because the others were in danger, however I had already had enough time to cool off somewhat whilst Cyrus dealt with the spell. The Script mage addressed us by clearing his throat. "As Natsu and Gray have just relayed, there is most definitely at least _two_ Nightmares around. With the nature of this attack, I suspect it is down to Hope" he stated.

"Two nightmares?" Rogue asked flatly, "Surely its only one. How could two have been so discrete if they've got as much power as you say" Cyrus shook his head.

"Hope's malevolent power is not easily concealed, although it is theoretically possible for him to do it for short periods of time, such as when he was reportedly spotted near Lamia Scale, however this was clearly well planned and executed carefully, so he must have been here for at least a short while" Cyrus took a deep breath, "For him to remain so hidden for so long another must be concealing his presence, either a _very_ powerful and skilled Illusionist, or, more likely, another Nightmare" he finished.

Erza absorbed this, a steely fire in her eyes. I knew only rage would be in my own, however Gray, Lucy and Sting all showed something akin to worry, or concern. Rogue's dark eyes were too difficult to read for me, but his scent said he was worried also. "If they can be hidden for so long should we not do something soon, or they could attack again" Lucy said. Erza nodded in agreement. "It's best to strike before they do" the redhead agreed.

"I don't care, let 'em even _try_ and attack us. I'll turn them all to a pile of ashes" I blurted.

"Keep calm Natsu" Sting said, Gray giving a look of agreement. I sighed in annoyance but complied.

"Yes, we must all keep calm" Cyrus stated, "Now, Blake has a suggestion" he gestured to his dark-haired colleague. The demon mage brought out the light pen and began writing in the air.

I PROPOSE WE ALL REMAIN IN OUR ACOMMODATION, WHILST I USE MY POWERS TO COMB THE SURROUNDING AREAS. CYRUS WILL BOLSTER THE PROTECTIVE SPELLS, ESPECIALLY AROUND NATSU.

He wrote. There was a nod of approval from Erza, Rogue and Gray. I didn't much care, I would fight anyone anyways. Blake continued.

WE SHOULD ALSO KEEP CLOSE, SO EVERYONE REMAINS INDOORS FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS. STARTING TONIGHT WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A SYSTEM OF NIGHT WATCH. GRAY CAN CONTINUE TO WATCH OVER NATSU, RESTRAIN HIM IF NEEDED. HE CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO JUST CHARGE OUT AND GET CAPTURED.

Gray smirked a little, flicking his gaze to me as I simmered angrily. _Do they all just think I'm some animal? That I need to be put in a cage?_ I pouted. Erza spoke up in agreement. "I think that's a good plan, the night watch can ensure no one is taken by surprise during the night. If we all work in pairs, each two doing one night we'll be able to spot any attacks" she said. "Me and Lucy can take the first night, and Sting and Rogue take the second" she added. Lucy nodded, although a little reluctantly; clearly she didn't like the idea of being in the dark with the looming threat, although she didn't speak up against Erza's plan. "That's a good idea Erza" Sting concurred, "Although… I think more than Gray should look after Natsu. After all, whilst he's been left alone with Natsu there's been this lapse in security. How about I help during the day, and he can keep Natsu safe at night?" the blond sought confirmation from Erza and Cyrus. Cyrus nodded, although Erza seemed a bit more reluctant. Sting smiled, "Don't worry I won't shirk the night duty just because I have to be on alert during the day" he reassured the redhead. Erza nodded at that. "Very well" she stated, looking over to Gray. "Do you have anything against this Gray?" she asked. I looked to the Ice mage; _He must be against this_ I thought quickly, worried that Gray would argue against the idea with Erza. Surprisingly Gray remained calm. Then he smiled, "I'm fine with it. Sting's right, this lapse did happen when I was on watch" he agreed, nodding over to Sting, "You'll have to come around to our building during the day, okay?" he asked the White Dragon Slayer. Sting nodded.

"Understood, I'll help keep guard then. Rogue can hang around without me" he gestured to his partner beside him. Blake made a grumbling noise.

IF ROGUE'S LEFT ALONE THEN HE COULD BE IN DANGER, I SUGGEST WHILST YOU'RE ON GUARD ROGUE REMAIN WITH LUCY AND ERZA DURING THE DAY. OF COURSE DURING THE NIGHT YOU'LL BE WITH HIM SO IT'S NOT AS DANGEROUS.

The demon mage wrote. Sting nodded. "That okay with you Rogue?" he asked the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Rogue shrugged.

"It's not like I have much choice, Blake's right, I'll be a target alone" he debated. Lucy nodded to him.

"It'll only be for tomorrow, so it won't be much of a problem" she reassured him.

"If that's been decided then we can adjourn for dinner and then everyone get to their rooms. The night watch system can begin today, Erza and Lucy will take tonight, Sting and Rogue will take tomorrow night" the Script mage declared. We all mumbled in agreement as Blake went off to bring out the prepared dinners.

I maintained a look at Gray, a few questions running around my mind. _Why was he so willing to let Sting in? Normally he would freak out, or get jealous… what's he thinking?_

Gray smiled at me. "You want some of this Natsu?" he asked me, gesturing to the large meat in front of him. I nodded with a slight smile.

"Yeah, it looks good" I said with a hungry tone.

/

We left the dining hall with a full stomach. I decided that if Gray had a reason to be open about having Sting around then he'd tell me later, when I ask him directly, so during our meal I kept quiet, just happy that we at least got to spend some time together before things got really crazy. "Whew, at least Blake can cook" I said, patting my belly. Gray nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, who knew he'd be so skilled in the kitchen. Not only is he awesome at fighting but he can cook too" the Ice mage stated. I laughed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"So you like a guy who can cook?" I said in a probing tone. Gray nodded.

"Of course, any meal I don't have to make myself that tastes good is something I'm happy to eat" he replied. "Plus… it's kinda hot to see a guy cook if he's someone I _like_ " he winked at me whilst he whispered.

"Shame I can't cook then" I whispered back, a smile on my face, "So I'll have to make it up to you some other way".

Gray grinned. "Don't worry about it" he said, opening the door and leading me inside. He locked it as I jumped down onto the edge of the bed. "You've got plenty of other skills that make you _hot_ , pyro" Gray said, laying down on the bed. I shuffled up and lay beside him.

"Such as…" I left it open to him. Gray smirked.

"Well your magic is literally hot" the Ice mage stated cockily. I shot him a little glare. "And of course, I love to see you fight with it" he added a moment later. I patted his side.

"Thanks" I said in a more upbeat tone. Gray smirked some more, before getting up and getting ready for bed. I stripped down whilst he did his teeth, then he got into bed whilst I was in the bathroom. I slunk beneath the covering sheets beside Gray and kissed his cheek. "Good night" I said to him. Gray looked intently at me. "Err… good night" he said.

"Something wrong?" I asked him. Gray shook his head.

"No, it's just…" he faltered, "I just thought about something".

I cocked my head to the side questioningly. "Is it something about me? Sting?" I asked him. Gray shook his head.

"It's not about that" he said.

"Then what is it, Gray" I asked him a little more annoyed now.

"Well…" Gray breathed out loudly. "I know I just said I like to see you fight Natsu, but you gotta promise me something" he stated. I raised my eyebrows.

"What promise?" I inquired.

"I want you to promise that if things get bad and we really are attacked then you've gotta try and keep safe. Don't go rushing in head first and trying to take on everyone on your own" Gray's eyes steeled. I looked into them for a few moments, before smiling.

"I'll only agree to that under one condition; you've gotta keep _yourself_ safe, so I don't have to do it for you, deal?" I said. Gray smirked.

"You've always gotta be so damn cocky and hard headed" he stated, making me pout, "But fine, deal" he kissed me briefly to seal it.

"Like you can talk about being hardheaded" I mumbled as we kissed. Gray hit me in the side, gently.

"Shut up" he mumbled back. After that we went to sleep, with Gray resting his head on my shoulder and my nose buried in his hair I couldn't have been more relaxed; except maybe if I knew that I would never be able to keep that promise. _Sorry Gray… but I gotta protect you_ I apologised silently as my mind drifted off to sleep.

/

 **General POV, That night**

Sanity and Madness stood surveying the scene carefully. "Looks like Hope was right about the patrols" Madness commented, pointing down to the figures of Erza Scarlet and Lucy Heartfillia marching around the camp. Sanity scoffed.

"They're small fry. The real sharks are those two damned Codes. How the hell does Hope expect us to break into Sting and Rogue's apartment, take 'em prisoner, and remain unnoticed, all the while those two are hunting for us. I've already counted five damned minions being summoned by that one they call Factor, and the other one… errr… Digit, has put up several _layers_ of protective spells over _every_ building" the older brother stated.

"We should attack now whilst they're not as prepared" the younger brother agreed. Sanity sighed.

"It's, unfortunately, not that simple" he stated. Madness looked at his brother oddly.

"How so?" he asked.

"Because you're both idiots, foolish brothers" a voice said from the shadows.

"Come out Hope" Sanity called, exasperated with the childish antics of the older Nightmare.

"I can't. I'm not really here" the voice called out, "I'm currently near the Pegasus' guild. You two keep position and _observe_. I put a couple of spying lacrima around the place whilst I was there, so I can keep an eye on you two. If you're patient and follow my plan _to the letter_ , you understand, then we can come out of this smelling of daisy's as the others push the very same flowers _up_ " Hope's laughter rang out at his very bad pun, "Just wait a couple of days. I'm assuming they only planned short term night watch, so they might give it up, or move to a new location. In the event of the latter, I'm sure you two know how the role of a highwayman works, just remember you _can_ take most of their lives, just not the target's. In the event of the _former_ , however… we're gonna have to get our hands dirty" at that Hope's voice cut out and silence filled the night air.

Once it was gone Sanity cursed, loudly. "Fuck that tiny child. Screw him and his plans!" he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Be quiet brother, you're going to get us found" Madness stated, "Anyways, he only said to wait another _couple_ of days. So after two days we can then assume his plans have changed and take our own action" the Nightmare of Madness grinned. Sanity began grinning too.

"Guess it's just a waiting game then" he said.

Madness nodded. "Indeed" he reiterated, looking back down to the white buildings.

/

 **Gray POV**

I woke to a heat beside me, greater than usual. "Natsu?" I said groggily, feeling a slight slickness to the bed. My eyes went wider as I saw the twisted expression on the Fire Dragon Slayer's face. "Natsu?!" I shook the pyro. He continued tossing and turning in his sleep, not waking up. "Wake up you idiot" I said, prodding him harshly. Natsu's eyes opened with a start.

"Agh…" he called out, before looking to me and noticing the state of the bed, "Err…" he froze. I smiled unsurely, placing an arm on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're awake" I said.

He nodded. "Sorry" he mumbled, going to lay down again, before I stopped him.

"It's not that early, you don't have to go back to sleep" I said to him, checking the time.

"Sorry" he mumbled again.

"What're you sorry for, it was a nightmare, wasn't it?" I said to him, "At least you woke up from it, and I know you don't always" I added. He looked solemnly at me.

"It was just a nightmare but… I'm sorry for waking you Gray" he said back to me. I kissed his forehead. "No problem, do you wanna talk about it?" I asked him. He shook his head, but did not speak. "That's all right" I said a moment later, "I suppose that with the threat of kidnapping and death anyone would be having nightmares" Natsu shot me a slight smile.

"Thanks, you're right" he said, before moving into a sitting position in the bed. "What time is it?" he tried to look at the clock behind me.

"Oh… about 6:30 AM" I said casually.

"I thought you said it wasn't that early" he burst out. I grinned at him.

"Not for me, anyways, not all of us sleep 'till noon, you lazy dragon" I replied. Natsu pouted.

"Hmph… fine, if we're up this early do you have something you want to… do" he trailed off, as a slight smirk formed on his face. I returned it. "We could do that… however, Cyrus' altered curse might affect us, are you sure that won't do anything?"

Natsu nodded a bit more enthusiastically. "Yeah… at least… I think so" he faltered, "I mean… what we did last time would be fine" he bounced back up.

I nodded. "That's fine with me".

"So do you just want me to… you know… start?" he blushed slightly. _Cute as usual…_ I commented silently.

"You can… or how about we just let it happen?" I replied. Natsu gave me a confused look.

"So you mean you don't want to?" he seemed disappointed, and that just made him so much cuter.

Shaking my head, I brought my hand up to his face. "No, I don't mean we _not_ do it, I just mean how about we start slow… like this" I brought his face next to mine and we kissed.

He seemed surprised, although only fleetingly. After a brief moment he closed his eyes and tried to deepen the kiss, pushing his tongue onto my lower lip. Deciding to give him what he wanted, in the hope he might open up about his nightmare later, I opened my mouth and gave his wet muscle free reign. Natsu's mouth was hot against my own, the inner fire spurred by his magic made his body hot, and that fire-eating cavern was no exception. "Mmm… Gray…" he moaned slightly. I could see the blush in his cheeks, a colour akin to the silky strands of his hair that I sifted through with my hands. _He's so cute… so hot…_ I quickly became lost in the sensation of feeling Natsu beside me.

As we pulled apart Natsu smiled as much as he had before we fell asleep last night. "Like that?" I asked him, amused by his show of blushed unsureness. "Yeah" he replied, "I always like kissing you Gray".

"Of course you do" I said with a cocky grin. Natsu leaned in again and kissed a short trail from my cheek to my chin. "If you keep grinning like that I'll do this for as long as you want…" he said. I grinned a little wider at the prospect.

"Somehow I don't think Sting'll appreciate that, since he's sharing my little duty of looking after you" I said. Natsu stopped and looked up at me directly.

"Oh yeah… I forgot to ask you about that" he started, before I pinched his cheek.

"Do you really want to get into a conversation about that _now_?" I asked him. Natsu smirked and shook his head coyly. I smirked back, "Good, because I've got other things in mind that your mouth could be doing" Natsu kissed along my neck and shoulder.

"Who said I'd be using my mouth?" he replied, running a hand down my chest and under the safety of the sheets covering us, questing lower until it stopped at my groin. He groped my hardened member through the fabric. I raised an eyebrow, wriggling slightly under the warm touch. "So you wanna us your hand this time?" I asked him.

Natsu pouted and shrugged, continuing to trail kisses along my upper torso. "Maybe… I could use it right? You wouldn't complain?" his eyes flicked upwards and met my own.

I rested a hand in his hair as he stopped his kissing and crawled back up to face me. "You can use whatever you want… that is… whatever you _can_ use" I shot him an amused look, "We agreed there'd be no mating until our little _arrangement_ was done".

Natsu nodded. "I know, I loved that deal Gray" he kissed my lips for emphasis, "And you know I'd never force you to mate" he added. I trailed my fingers haphazardly over the back of his head. "Yeah, I know you wouldn't, and you know I wouldn't _let_ you force it on me either, because if you did then I'd kick your ass" I replied, sending Natsu another cocky grin.

"Oh I know you wouldn't let me, but who says you'd be _able_ to kick my ass" he replied, equally as cocky. "But that doesn't matter… right now, because I told you that if you keep giving me that cocky grin then I'll do _this_ for as long as you want" he added a moment later, giving a rougher tug at my cock, through my underwear.

"Aagh…" I gave a strangled moan as Natsu pushed down on me, putting his whole weight on my body as we slid down the bed, my back to the mattress with Natsu sitting on top of me. He flicked the covering sheets off with his free hand whilst his other hand groped my groin distractingly. "Natsu… if you keep… agh… going I'm gonna come… in my pants" I said. This made the Fire Dragon Slayer continue with an even wider, lewd grin. "That's fine Gray, since I'm making sure that you don't forget…" he stopped midsentence.

"Forget what?" I asked him, trying to keep a grip on my mind, stopping myself from giving in to Natsu's hand motions. It then occurred to me that Cyrus' reversed curse must have been increasing the feeling. _Damn it… with that spell active I might very well keep fucking coming, and Natsu knows it_ I thought.

"I'm making sure you don't forget just _who_ is the Dragon Slayer here" he pointed a thumb at himself, before jabbing a finger in my direction, "And who is the mate".

I laughed. "Hey Natsu," I started.

"What?"

"I'm not gonna forget that… agh… especially when… you're doing that" I said, losing my grip on self-control.

"Good… now… let's see how powerful Cyrus' spell really is" Natsu smirked wickedly. He tugged at my underwear, stripping them off quickly and eyeing the sight of my cock. I didn't even need to see it to know that pre-cum had already formed. _Damn it… so fucking close…_ I thought desperately. Natsu laughed. "You're really fucking close Gray, aren't you?" he looked me up and down. I gave a little whiny noise, pleading him to do more.

"I love it when you ask like that" he said, before grabbing ahold of my shaft and stroking it slowly. "If you do it again I'll go faster… _Graaaay_ " he emphasized my name so tantalizingly.

"Ngn… Natsu" I whined again.

The pinkette smiled, leaning in close to my face. He began stroking quicker. "Since you're so close I'll finish you off _if_ you show me how much you want to come for me" he said. I acted solely on impulse and grabbed the grinning Dragon Slayer, kissing him sloppily, our tongues colliding messily, very little control left in me. He pulled away after a moment, hand flying up and down my shaft now. "That was great… I think yo-" he began, before I interjected.

"F-fuck… coming…" I said a little too late. I felt the seizing of some of my muscles as the strongest orgasm I had yet experienced shook my body. "Agh… ah… ahhhh… Natsu… Na-ah-tsu" I finished in his hand, splattering white fluid over my chest and his arm.

"That was hot, Gray, really fucking hot" Natsu said as white spots danced around in my vision. "Looks like that curse really does make things so much better" he noted. I nodded weakly.

"Yes… it fucking… does" I breathed. Natsu didn't wait, he bent over and kissed me sloppily again, pulling away to run his tongue over his hand. "I love you Gray, but I love your taste even more" he said.

"I love you too, Natsu, but…" I stopped.

He looked down at me. "I know… I feel bad too, since I get to taste you but not the other way around" he cast his eyes downward apologetically. "Sorry" he said. I stroked his cheek.

"It's okay" I said. Natsu's eyes lit up.

"How about I make it up to you by cleaning you up?" he offered. I nodded, assuming he'd go get a towel or something. As soon as I agreed Natsu shifted his weight, bending down and running his tongue over my body. After a few moments of getting licked by Natsu and the pinkette rose to lay beside me. "Don't you wanna do something too?" I asked him.

He shrugged and shook his head. "I'm just happy I get to make you get as bad as _that_ " he said, gesturing to my bedraggled hair, and my slick body.

"Is that all?" I pressed him.

"Yeah, why, is that weird?" he looked at me confusedly.

I smiled and shook my head. "It's not weird, to me at least. But I thought it might be because you're scared of something" I trained my eyes on Natsu more carefully. _He was pretty shaken when he woke up, and although this was a really great distraction… knowing him he'll let it eat away at him without bothering to tell me about it_ I thought, the cloud made by my recent pleasure now passing so I could think clearly. "Are you really sure there's nothing else stopping you?" I pressed him. Natsu didn't look in my direction and instead looked up at the ceiling.

"No. There's nothing wrong" he parroted once more.

"Really?" I said, my tone conveying my disbelief, "So that nightmare you just had has nothing to do with it?" I added. This made Natsu look at me.

"It wasn't about _that_ " he blurted, before catching himself. Trying to look away again I held his head firm with my hand to his cheek.

"So what was it about then?" I asked him. Natsu pouted.

"Hmph… it was about those Nightmares" he said flatly.

"Nightmares?" I questioned, wanting more information than the Dragon Slayer seemed willing to give to me. "Were you dreaming about fighting them or something?" I asked.

Natsu half nodded. "Yeah… it was going really well, we were winning… but then…" his eyes seemed a little distant as he spoke, "You got hit. I saw you die, Gray".

I looked at Natsu confusedly. "Was that all?" I asked him, knowing from his gaze there was still one more thing he was leaving out deliberately. Natsu kept quiet for a good few minutes before speaking again. "You told me to back off, to run… and I didn't. I was responsible for you dying" he said.

I sighed. "Natsu… that was just a dream. I'm alive, for now at least, so you shouldn't feel bad" I said, trying to reassure the Dragon Slayer.

Natsu shrugged me off. "I know it's a dream but… well… I think that I wouldn't run even if it had been in real life. I won't back down from a fight Gray… I've got to protect you…" he said, voice cracking a little. _This isn't like Natsu… why does he get so upset about this… he just said last night that he'd keep himself safe if I'd keep myself safe…_

"Natsu," I started, "I get that you want to protect me, but I want to protect you too. If this dream's what's got you worrying about fighting though, then all you've got to think is that I'm alive right now, and I can protect myself".

Natsu nodded. "I know but… I just know that if I fight, someone's gonna get seriously injured… or worse. I don't want that to happen… especially to you" he said.

"If you don't want that to happen then help protect them by beating the Nightmares. If I fight alongside you then I won't back down either, then we can keep each other safe. And the others too" I said. The pinkette held my gaze for a moment, his brain processing what I was saying carefully. Then he smiled a little and ran a hand up to hold my cheek. "Do you think that's fair, we fight together?" I asked him.

Natsu slipped a little closer to me in the bed. "Thank you Gray, I will fight with you" he said.

"Yeah, but you should also know; I have no intention of letting anyone get hurt either, no one here does. So you worrying about them is unnecessary, since everyone's here to fight, and to protect you too" I said "I don't think you'd be worrying this much about Erza, or Sting, or Lucy, so why do you worry so much about me when you know how capable I am in a fight, years of brawling not teach you that much at least?" Natsu kissed along my neck.

"I know" he said "I'm just worrying for you because… well, because I love you" he added, before curling beside me. I stroked a hand through his hair, holding him close to me. Looking at his face I could only think of how beautiful he looked, however I also knew that behind all that was a Dragon that would stand its ground to protect its friends. _He cares… sometimes too much. If he worries about everyone getting hurt then he's gonna be a liability in this fight, so I've got to make sure he keeps happy… because he's Natsu and that's what he makes me feel whenever I'm around him._

 _Natsu's not just my light though, he makes us all feel happier, and I can't have them seeing him like this. He needs to be strong, so I'll be strong with him_ I thought, a determination filling me, _I will stop Natsu's nightmare from coming true; not just so I don't die, but so he doesn't blame himself…_

 _I've got to do that, otherwise what kind of mate would I be for him?_

We lay together for a long while, enjoying each other's presence, all the while that thought ringing loud in my mind.

/

 **General POV**

Walter strummed his hand on the desk, thinking. "Damn, last night was a bust" he sighed, annoyed that he hadn't found anyone hot to have fun with. "But still no reply from Cyrus…" it had been a day and a half since his bird had been sent off. If it had been destroyed then he would've known, so it had to have reached them by now. "Where is it?" he questioned to the empty room. No one came into his office besides Makarov and Mirajane so he could often be pretty safe saying whatever he wanted with the confines of the four walls.

To pass the time all the young mage had to do was either fill in paper work, or check on the situations at the other guilds. Blue Pegasus had reported the same mysterious child that Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale had seen, but the child disappeared before they could figure out what he was up to. _Only Hope has that kind of skill… maybe…_

After a little bit of paperwork Walter sat back in his chair. "Argh… why can't things ever be simple?" he asked himself, frustrated with the lack of progress made since the forming of the new alliance. As he debated sending out another bird, and then going out again tonight, a tap sounded on his window. Looking over in surprise he sent away the weapon he had instinctively summoned. "Ah, at last" he breathed a small sigh of relief to see the metallic bird sitting on the windowsill. "What is their response?" he asked it. The bird raised the leg that held the response tied to it, Walter removing the string and paper quickly. Nothing flew faster than his bird so he knew that this would be the fastest mode of transport for his messages. His eyes glanced over the paper message.

MESSAGE RECEIVED. NATSU'S ROOM BROKEN INTO, SUSPECT NIGHTMARES. PROBABLY TWO ASSAILENTS, AT LEAST ONE MUST BE HOPE. AGREED COURSE OF ACTION IS TO HAVE NIGHT PATROLS, PLUS ME AND BLAKE SEARCHING FOR THEM IN NEARBY LOCATIONS. WILL REPORT IF ANYONE ELSE APPROACHES. SUGGEST PUT JURA AND OTHER MEMBERS ON HIGH ALERT TO ASSIST IF NECESSARY.

It read. Hearing the message did nothing to alleviate Walter's frustration, but at least they took precautionary measures, and they were right to ask for him to send word to Lamia Scale. Scribbling down a response he attached it to the bird and sent it on its way again. "Looks like I might need to head over there myself. Although… I'd have to ask Makarov if he can receive messages in my stead…" Walter decided it was worth asking the old Guildmaster.

"But I suppose one more say here can't be too dangerous. Neither can one more trip to the bar" Walter thought a moment later. _I'll leave after tomorrow; it shouldn't take me long to get there if I use some of my magic. One more day… then I'll get there and beat the crap out of Hope._ He smiled at the thought of violence against the one Nightmare that had always managed to elude him and the others. _Hope…_

 _I don't think he'd act tomorrow, if he already knows they're on high alert. At least, I hope he doesn't…_

 **Chapter 20 End**

 **Next Chapter; Surprise Attack**


	21. Chapter 21 - Surprise Attack

**Chapter 21 – Surprise Attack**

 **Gray POV**

We left the room in a quiet mood. Natsu had been worryingly quiet since waking up from that nightmare, and it concerned me. Every time he noticed me glancing at him, however, he shot me a smile, saying "It's alright, I'm not freaking out any more" however I never quite believed him. As we entered the dining room we were met by the two Sabertooth Dragon Slayers, but oddly no Erza or Lucy. "Where are the girls?" I asked Sting, who shrugged.

"They haven't shown up" he stated the obvious, "Guess they're still in their room". The blond was busy drinking his morning coffee whilst Rogue sat in a brooding quiet. "Is something wrong with Rogue?" I asked Sting, who laughed.

"He's just in a bad mood because he's stuck with the girls, that's all" he said jovially, "Nothing to worry about" he added.

Natsu nodded, as Blake appeared with coffee for both me and the pinkette sat beside me. He quickly scribbled something in the air.

I HEARD YOU TALKNG. ERZA AND LUCY WERE ON NIGHTSHIFT, REMEMBER, CYRUS SAID THEY'D REST UP THIS MORNING.

He wrote before disappearing off. Before he could go we thanked him for the coffee and turned back to the two Dragon Slayers. Rogue looked to us with a passive expression, "We've got the next night shift" he stated. I nodded as Natsu chatted with Sting.

"Yeah, that'll be tough. Do you not want to sleep before you do it or something, so you're not tired?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I can go without sleep for a long period of time" he said. I glanced over at Sting, who caught my look and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine to help keep watch over Natsu with you, if that's what you're getting at" he said. I just shrugged.

"If you're sure you'll be okay" I replied.

"If who'll be okay doing what?" Cyrus asked as he entered the room. Despite the Script mage's insistent complaining at everyone reporting to here early, he always seemed to appear later than anyone else. I was starting to think he waited around for everyone to arrive and then enter the building himself. "I was just checking to see if Sting was sure he was up to both keeping guard over Natsu and doing the night watch" I told the brunette. Cyrus was busy fixing his light blue shirt collar and tightening the darker blue tie around his neck as he responded. "I spent all last night fixing defensive enchantments everywhere, and Blake didn't find anyone in the forest. I think they've pulled further afield until we're lulled into a sense of security before they attack" the script mage stated, "I don't want it to seem that we've let our guard down, so if Sting can only handle one of the two jobs, you'll need to make sure you can do the night watch" he said, shrugging his dark blue suit jacket on and fixing the sleeves. Sting met Cyrus' gaze as he replied. "I think I can do both" he said definitively. Cyrus shrugged.

"I think it's better you focus on one task. Leave Gray to look over Natsu" he stated. At that moment Blake entered with all the prepared breakfast foods. Cyrus smirked. "Don't worry they'll be fine" he added as he wandered over to Blake to discuss something with him. They exchanged a few hand signs and Cyrus turned back to the group. "Blake agrees with me" he stated, "For now let Gray look after Natsu, you focus on keeping an eye out for anyone suspect".

Sting pouted but then shot us both a grin. "Looks like you get Natsu _all to yourself_ then, eh Gray" he raised his eyebrows before tucking into his breakfast. I shared a look with Natsu.

"Don't worry, I said before…" Natsu started to whisper, however I narrowed my eyes on him.

"Don't say that, you always say it. I'm not jealous. I was actually worrying about whether he _knows_ about us" I whispered back at him. I made sure my voice was audible only for Natsu, since with Dragon Slayer hearing any louder than a horse whisper and I thought Sting might hear that we were talking about him. Natsu thought for a moment and then nodded. "I still think he was convinced before, but maybe he isn't…" he thought.

I pouted, "We need to make sure" Natsu nodded at that.

/

 **General POV**

The Nightmares stood on the crest of the hill. "Looks like the girls are in bed" Sanity stated. Madness shrugged. "They still aren't the major threat; however, we only have to wait one more day before we attack anyways" he stated. Sanity nodded in agreement.

"Not anymore" a voice said.

"Hope?" Sanity asked the air. "Are you communicating or…" he was cut short as the young boy appeared from out of the bushes.

"Nope, I'm here. I arrived because we need to revise our strategy" the young boy said in his reedy voice. He brushed off his waistcoat before speaking again. "Seem's Walter… that is their leader, Prime, is coming here tomorrow. If he arrives our chances of survival in this will be even slimmer. Even for my skills it could be difficult…" he surveyed the scene with his golden eyes, vision cold and calculating, none of the usual amusement and childish innocents. "We need to attack by dusk, when the shadows will be to our advantage, but before it's too dark and then they have the advantage of numbers" he stated. "I've got an idea for some cover that'll act as a distraction… oh… and you two no longer need to replace the two Sabertooth Dragon's, so you can focus on going all out when we attack" he smiled at them. Sanity and Madness shared a look.

"Really?" they asked him. Hope nodded.

"Yeah, just leave Natsu Dragneel to me and you two take on all the rest" he stated. Madness grinned wickedly whilst Sanity looked out towards the cluster of buildings. "Seem's like fun to me" Madness stated. Sanity shrugged.

"What's your idea for cover then?" he asked Hope. The young face twisted into an evil grin.

"Let's say it'll really… _bug_ them" he laughed before he began to explain his newly revised plan to the two twins.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We returned to our room with a spring in our step. "Whether Sting knows about us or not, you've got to admit he's pretty funny" I said as Gray trudge along beside me. The White Dragon Slayer had been cracking jokes all morning, several of which Gray _insisted_ were about me and him being 'together'. I just ignored them and chose to laugh alongside the blond. "Awww… is someone upset?" I asked Gray in a mocking tone.

He pouted and crossed his arms whilst I unlocked the door. "Shut up, flame brain. You should be _worried_ , not laughing" he sighed. I just chuckled and kissed his cheek whilst no one was around. "Come on, let's get inside. I want to make the best of having you to myself" I said to him, grabbing Gray's wrist and dragging him into the confines of our comfortable room. "Okay then…" Gray said, more willing now to let me lead him in.

As we entered I closed the door and Gray sat down on the sofa. I sat next to him, my hand on his thigh. "How much do you want to do?" I asked him calmly. _I wouldn't mind going full on but… he already has earlier_ I thought as Gray's beautiful eyes glimmered. Gray smiled and shrugged. "I don't mind how much we do" he answered me. I nodded before leaning in, my free hand moving up to his head whilst the other held firm on his thigh. We kissed, our lips meeting softly. Gray was smiling but then his expression changed, closing his eyes he opened his mouth. I slipped my tongue inside, enjoying the warm feeling and comforting presences he gave me as we continued to kiss. Our tongues battled, moving from his mouth to mine, however eventually we had to pull apart before anyone managed to get ahold over the other. Gray's face resumed the smile he had before we kissed.

"I really want to do this with you again, but…" his eyes went over to the bed. I smirked.

"Was it too much for you, the spell?" I asked him. Gray's eyes met my own once more and he tried looking firm, but melted quickly as I scooted closer to him on the sofa. "You don't have to worry, I wasn't making fun of you" I said, "I was just checking. It's only good if we _both_ enjoy it, right, so if you'd rather do something else-" I was stopped by a quick kiss to my lips.

"It's not that I don't want to do it, I just think, with people around the buildings, if anyone comes in they might hear us, especially if that spell is affecting us" he stated. I pouted.

"So you'd rather do it somewhere else then?" I said, voice shifting to a slightly darker tone. Gray nodded, before grinning brightly and patting the spot beside him. "On the sofa?" I asked for confirmation.

Gray nodded. "Of course" he said cheerily. I smirked and jumped up straddling myself on his lap. "Okay then" I replied, grinning down at him from my now slightly raised position. Gray leaned up and our lips met again. Gray mumbled something before going to open his mouth again. My tongue flicked around his lower lip, more slowly entering now than it did before, savoring the feeling of Gray beneath me.

Unfortunately, luck was not on our side today, as not long after we began our make-out session, a knock was heard at our door. "Hey Natsu! Gray! Are you two in there?" a voice called out. A higher pitched, whiney voice, I stopped kissing Gray and visibly scowled, knowing full well who it was. _Oh, come on, just a little time alone, that's all I want_ I cursed silently. Gray sat looking up at me, as he was still pinned down under me. "It's Lucy" Gray stated the obvious, I sighed and got up off of him, walking up to the door. I tried to put on my best smile. "Don't worry, I'm coming" I called out. _Well, I wish I was coming anyways…_ I thought with a sly little grin. Opening the door, I was met with a smiling, tired, but friendly looking Lucy, as well as the one and only passive-faced Queen of the Fairies herself, Erza. "Hey guys, what're you doing here?" I asked them. I heard Gray get up behind me, but couldn't tell if it was to come to the door or to try to block the view of the bed.

Lucy pouted at me. "You're not going to let us in?" she questioned me. I shrugged.

"Sure, you can come in if you want. But Gray's getting changed, so he's currently butt naked" I answered, giving an amused look as Lucy's expression instantly changed.

"In that case I think I'll wait…" she said, "Anyways, we came over to see how you guys were doing. Erza and me were up all night on the whole night watch thing, but we went to bed around the same time the sun was starting to rise" she made idle chat.

I looked over to the armored wizard beside Lucy. "Did you guys notice anything then?" I asked her. Erza shook her head. "Seem's Cyrus was right with what he told us before we retired last night. They've probably gone into hiding somewhere slightly further away, but close enough that they can strike when our guard's down" she said flatly. "We must not drop our guard" she added with a bit more bite in her voice. I nodded in agreement whilst Lucy looked on, unsure of what else to say clearly.

"You guys missed breakfast" I said, trying to distract them from the still lack of Ice mage. Lucy nodded, her eyes telling me she was annoyed by this.

"Yeah, we're going to go get something to eat now, before it's too close to lunch time" the blonde said. I nodded.

"I'm kinda hungry too" I stated. Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You're always hungry Natsu" she stated. Gray reappeared, wearing exactly the same clothes as before. Using his scent, I knew he was hiding around in the adjacent walk-in wardrobe, but now he must have decided that it had been long enough.

"Hey guys" he said pleasantly, although I could tell from his scent that he just wanted them gone too, so we could resume our little bit of 'fun'. Lucy smiled at him. "Hi Gray" she beamed, "Are you two getting along?"

Gray smirked and patted me on the back. "Sure we are, just like I said we would" he seemed to direct this more at Erza than Lucy, "Are you guy's checking up on us because you found something or…?" he left it open for them to finish. Lucy shook her head.

"No… we didn't see anything, right Erza" she looked over to the Requip mage, who nodded curtly. "Yes, it seems our foes are currently in hiding. We just came to make sure you two were behaving whilst we were on our way to get food since we missed breakfast" she stated. Gray nodded.

"Well… we're behaving" he said, unsure of what else to say. Erza nodded.

"I'm happy you are, however…" her stomach rumbled, "I think I would be even happier if we got some food. I guess we'll see you two at lunch then" she turned to march smartly off towards the dining hall. Lucy smiled one last time at us before going off to follow the redhead.

"Yeah, guess I'll see you guys later" she waved.

"Bye" we called out in unison. As soon as they were out of sight me and Gray shut the door and grinned at each other. "Now where were we?" I asked him.

/

 **A little while later**

A scream broke the quiet of mid-afternoon. Me and Gray were busy doing push-ups on the floor of our room, our eyes locked in heated competition. After Lucy and Erza had visited us before we resumed making out on the sofa, before doing a little _more_. After that we had simply talked, cuddled up against each other on the bed. It had been around noon when Cyrus told us to come for lunch, and now, after arriving back me and Gray had decided to spend our time wisely training. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and me and Gray ended up arguing over who could do the most push-ups and sit-ups, leading to our current competition. When the scream sounded, however, we both stopped instantly. I jumped up, a fire in my eyes. Gray's eyes were steeled, ready for combat instantly. "Wait here" he had stated, moving to the window and observing the scene outside. Suddenly Lucy dashed past, sending me over to the door quickly to go and helped her, however Gray stopped me with his arm. "It could be a trap or something Natsu, they could be here for you" he stated. I glared at him.

"That was Lucy, Gray, she needs our help" I retorted, moving to the door again. "If you don't want me to get captured then come with me, you're supposed to be my guard, right?"

Gray groaned. "Just stay inside for a minute Natsu" he stated, moving to stop me again, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Please?" he begged. I turned around to look at him.

"Come on, we don't need to go far, we just need to see what's going on" I insisted. Gray shook his head as my hand reached for the door knob. "We're not going Natsu" he stated, before I felt a cold sensation fill the room. Before I could react Gray's Devil Slayer Ice shot past me and froze the entire door. I turned to look at him in surprise as he smirked at me, moving to the windows and freezing them over too. "Did you really need to freeze the windows?" I asked him sarcastically. The Ice mage shrugged. "I know you Natsu, you'd have jumped out of them" he stated. I growled at him as I paced back up towards the bed and sat on the edge. "You're really taking this guard thing seriously" I said in an annoyed tone. Gray nodded.

"One of us has to take this stuff seriously, and I know you wouldn't" he replied, before sitting down next to me. "Anyways, me and Erza agreed that in the event of an emergency, I'd keep you in here until she, or Cyrus, said otherwise" he explained. "If it's not the kidnappers though, then I'll unfreeze everything and then you get to fight, okay?" he smiled at me. I shrugged, a pout on my face.

"I guess that's sensible" I replied, fire forming around one of my fists. "Just as soon as you let this stuff go I'm going to go out there and beat the crap outta whatever made Lucy run" I vowed. Gray laughed. "I think Erza might have you beat there, pinky" he said, pointing to one of the iced-over windows. Her shape was slightly warped due to the ice, however the clear form of Erza stood strong in her Heavens Wheel armor, swords dancing around her. She flung some of them at an enemy we couldn't see around the corner of our building. "Gray, it's okay to let him out. It's not the Nightmares" the redhead stated aloud. Gray looked to me.

"Ready?" he asked me. I nodded with a grin.

"Of course, just open it up already" I replied impatiently. Gray laughed and let the ice disappear. As soon as it was gone I bolted out of the room and nearly into Erza. "Watch where you're going Natsu" she commanded, "The enemy is over there" she pointed with the tip of her sword at two quite surprising assailants. Crawling over the building's and along the floor was a variety of giant insects, from huge spiders, to large man-sized mantises, even one or two giant centipedes were present in the horde. "Whoa, that's a lot of bugs" I commented, allowing fire to form over each of my fists. "I guess Cyrus wasn't joking when he said about them being huge". Erza shrugged, as her swords sliced through a pair of bright orange and black spiders, which leapt forward, their fangs bared. "They seemed to all just rush out of the forest as soon as me and Lucy were returning to our room after lunch. Sting and Rogue are with Cyrus and Blake near the woods, driving them back. We've got the job of getting rid of all the ones here" she said. I laughed gleefully.

"Great" I stated, before earning another look from Erza.

"Try to avoid damaging the buildings Natsu" she said. Gray stood near our building, blades of ice in each hand.

"Natsu, you go find Lucy, me and Erza'll deal with the one's here" he shouted to me. Erza nodded at me and gave me a little cover from the onslaught of insects. I sniffed the air, the stench of bugs and blood heavy in the air. I identified Lucy's familiar smell quickly and followed it to the area behind Sting and Rogue's building. "Hey Lucy" I greeted her. Taurus was standing nearby, chopping through any bug that came within range of his axe. "Miss Looocy, there's a lot of them coming this way" the bull-man warned. I growled with amusement.

"Don't worry, I'll help deal with these suckers" I proclaimed, taking a stance beside the celestial spirit, whilst Lucy stood a little further behind us, her whip ready in case any insect got past us. The swarm seemed to be keeping its distance, aware now of the danger posed by Taurus' axe, however I noticed several of them swivel their many eyes towards me, primal hunger deep within them at the prospect of a 'less deadly' opponent; How wrong they were. The first stupid bug to attempt to strike was a large green spider, about the size of a sheep. _Hissssss_ it sounded, as a glob of sickly fluid was spat towards me. I unleased flames from my hands and evaporated it before it managed to reach me. "Hah ha, is that all ya got" I taunted it. Suddenly two more spiders came up alongside the green one, all roughly the same size. They charged at me, their fangs bared, with more green fluid dripping off of them. "Fire Dragon Roar" I commanded, sending a more controlled than usual, cone of brilliant red flames rolling over them. The spiders were roasted instantly, along with a few other unlucky insects that happened to be a little too close to the trio of arachnids. I laughed in amusement as the flames sent a few of the squeeling away towards the trees. "Yeah go on, run" I shouted after them. A pair of giant mantises then decided the attack from the shadow of the building, their hard, emerald carapaces easily deflecting the flurry of punches I sent at them. "Natsu, watch out!" Lucy called out to me, using her whip to send the creatures back. Taurus swung his axe and broke through their armor, cutting off one of the two's arms. "Hey, did you see that Miss Loocy?" he called out to the blonde. She sighed, "Yes, I did Taurus, but watch it, the other one is still lurking around there" she warned. "Don't worry, I got it" I said, rushing forward. I used my flames to give me much more power in my punch this time and hit the uninjured mantis square on the head. It crashed to the ground, either knock out or dead from the impact. I looked back at the crowd of insects, now significantly fewer than before from both our attacks and the retreat of some of the more cowardly critters. Lucy met eyes with me and we nodded. "Time to take em out" she said. Sending the bull away she drew out another key; the Archer. In a flash of yellow light, the familiar form of a man in a horse costume appeared beside me. "Howdiliy do, my lady" Sagittarius greeted with a smart salute. "Hey Sagittarius" Lucy replied, "You've got to take out as many of these guys as you can, think you can do that?" she asked. The archer nodded.

"Of course, anything for you, lady Lucy" he replied, notching a few arrows. I got back as the horse-man unleased volley after volley of arrows, completely bathing the creatures in them. The arrows, so expertly flung, pierced through armor and fang, spider and mantis, even some of the giant scorpions I only just now noticed, were skewered to the ground. "Well done Sagittarius" Lucy praised the spirit as the few survivors of the attack fled the scene. The archer nodded and disappeared, "If that's all my lady, I'll bid you a good day" he said as he faded away. I grinned at Lucy.

"Come on, we gotta see how Erza and Gray are doing" I said to her, offering my hand to drag her along. She nodded and started running, but refusing to take my hand, since she knew she'd get dragged along by me.

"Yeah, let's go" she replied as we ran off back towards mine and Gray's room.

/

We returned in time to see Erza slicing through waves of insects. Black-blue blood dripped from her weapon as she sent another group of insects fleeing in terror. "Come back here!" she demanded fiercely. The insects had no intention of returning as they scurried back towards the forest. Gray laughed. "Let 'em go Erza, they're running away" he said, using his ice to freeze a group of giant scorpions that were going to attack him. Erza scowled at me and Lucy as we arrived. "Where did you run off to?" she asked the blonde. Lucy gave me a panicked look.

"I was just a little freaked out when that pair of giant wasps began charging at me. I eventually lost them and started fighting some of the insects near Sting and Rogue's building" she explained. Erza nodded.

"We're almost done here too. Once these ones have been dealt with we can go and back up the others" she stated. I nodded.

"Well then, let's quit standing around and do some proper fighting" I cheered, charging into a group of bugs and smashing them with fists and feet aflame. As I dealt with these Erza requipped into her Black Wing armor and cut down a few more with her sword. The horde of bugs seemed more afraid now, and soon they all began turning tail and running. "Gray, do it now" Erza called out. Gray looked over to me and I came over to back him up. Whatever 'it' was I guessed Erza had planned for it to go well. As I fought the bugs which had previously been trying to attack my boyfriend, Gray charged his magic up. "Ice Make; Tunnel" he commanded. Placing his hands to the ground, walls of ice erupted along both sides of the area where we were fighting. The ice continued to grow, moving along, separating us and the bugs from the buildings, forming a large cavern that lead all the way to the forest. I realised that Erza intended to force the bugs to return to the forest, so I mustered up flames in my mouth and spewed them forth carefully, trying to scare the bugs whilst not melting Gray's ice. Gray smiled at me as the bugs ran in instinctive terror from my flames. "Good job Natsu" he praised me. The remaining bugs all fled, some tried to climb the ice walls, but it was too slippery for them to maintain their grip, and they slid back into the fleeing horde. We chased them down the length of the tunnel until it met the area near the forest where both Sting and Rogue, as well as Blake and Cyrus, were fighting in pairs. The Dragon Slayers were almost overwhelmed seeing the onslaught of insect's charge past them, however Cyrus and Blake expertly dodged out of the way. Sting used his White Dragon Roar to fling himself high into the air and avoid getting crushed by the bugs, whilst Rogue slipped into his shadow form. Once the bugs passed, taking their kin that Sting and Rogue had been fighting with them, we all cheered. Cyrus came over to us and nodded smartly. "Well done, everyone" he praised us, "It's unusual for so many to attack at once, so I think someone must hav-" he stopped midsentence as two mantises, that seemed to have been hiding in the shadow of the dining hall building, leapt forward. Their sharp raptorial forelegs swiped forward at me and Gray, however I leapt up and sent my fists crashing down into them. The pair of creatures staggered, but did not go down. I readied another attack, however the mantises drew back. A laugh sounded around the area.

"That hurt" one of the mantises seemed to say.

"Agreed. Definitely a nasty punch on that one" the other replied. I stood dumbstruck for a moment.

"They can talk?!" I blurted out. Suddenly Cyrus pulled me back, placing himself and Blake in between me and the insects. "Natsu, keep back" he said sternly. I noticed Gray come up beside me, stance telling me he was ready to both attack or restrain me, depending on what happened next.

The mantises looked at us. "Guess he's figured it out then" one of them said, the triangular shaped head turning to its partner. They exchanged a twitchy nod, before drawing back a distance away from the group, their backs to the forest. "Time to shed these unnecessary disguises".

A hazy outline formed around the insects, as if they were a drawing that had been smudged, followed by a slight purple shimmering. After a moment it passed and standing before us were two men, each with grins plastered on their faces. "Unfortunately, looks like we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way, dear brother" one of them said, looking to the other.

"Indeed" the brother agreed, both turning to face us.

/

Cyrus stood his ground at the two attackers. "Who are you? Which Nightmare?" he demanded. The two brothers laughed. "Like you need to know that, _Digit_ " one of them sneered. It was difficult to tell the two apart; they both seemed to be in their early twenties, although one appeared older, but could only be a year or so older than his brother. They both wore white shirts and brown waistcoats, with matching brown trousers and shoes, although the younger of the two seemed to have boots on instead of shoes. "Just answer the question" Cyrus reiterated. The older one shrugged. "I am the Nightmare of Sanity" he stated.

The younger bowed. "I am the Nightmare of Madness" he chimed in. Cyrus analysed the two carefully, his gaze cold and critical. "We have not fought before then" he stated, "So I don't know your powers, although you are clearly practitioners of Illusionary magic" he added.

Once more the elder, Sanity, spoke. "I guess you could say that" he stated, "But anyways, enough about us" he gestured to our group, "you know what we've come for".

Cyrus nodded. "Yes, Natsu" he said flatly, voice emotionless. I saw his foot twitch, clearly tense and ready for a fight any minute.

"Will you give him up to us, hmmmm?" Sanity asked, tone showing his amusement at the situation, despite the fact he was outnumbered. Cyrus shook his head. "Surely you Nightmares know by now we will never give up anything to you" he stated. Madness laughed.

"Haven't you given up a lot already though, I find that statement ironic coming from you. Now… if you're not going to give us the pink haired one, I guess we're at an impasse" the younger Nightmare stated.

"Yes, we are" Cyrus replied, before smirking. In a blur of motion letters appeared in front of the Script mage. "Red Script; Flare" he instructed, before an explosion of flames shot towards the Nightmares. They laughed and dodged to the side, leaving the flames to dissipate quickly, before they could hit the forest. "He's feisty" Madness cheered, as he and his brother ran in darting motions.

"Erza, Sting, everyone" Cyrus looked at them; they knew what to do. In an instant Lucy held a key up, Sting and Rogue entered their respective 'Drives', and Erza requipped into her Robe of Yūen armor, a naginata-like blade forming in her hand. "Gray, Natsu, come with me" Cyrus then stated, not giving me a minute to argue back as he forcibly dragged me behind him by the wrist. Gray followed willingly, eye's darting about ready for an attack from the shadows. As we curved around the side of a building Cyrus let go of me; I didn't need a mirror to know my eyes were burning with anger. "Why'd you drag me?" I asked him gruffly, trying to keep a reign on my temper for a moment. Gray replied for him.

"Because you were going to run straight into them, and they obviously wanted you to do that, hence why they acted all pompous to provoke you" the Ice mage said.

"I wasn't going to-" I started, before Cyrus raised his hand up to silence me.

"Doesn't matter" he stated, "What we need to do now is get you to your building, it's the safest place here, I made sure of that".

I flicked my gaze behind me, to where my friends were fighting. "They're fighting to protect you, help them by coming with us" Gray said, clearly reading my thoughts with ease. I looked intently at him for a moment, before turning my back to the pair, towards where the others were fighting. "If I help them fight we can easily beat those two guys, just let me fight" I said. Gray placed his hand on my shoulder, however I heard Cyrus mutter something.

" _Just make this easy_ " he said, in a tone I guess he thought I couldn't hear.

"No, I won't let my friends fight without me" I barked, turning. In a blur of motion Cyrus leapt forward and smothered my mouth with his hand. After a few seconds I could taste something bitter as darkness quickly overtook my vision.

My last sight was Gray slumped over to support my weight before I completely passed out.

/

 **Gray POV**

"What was that you just gave to Natsu?" I asked with the now unconscious Dragon Slayer on my shoulders. Cyrus smirked.

"Blake gave it to me before I attacked, it's just a little sleeping powder. He'll wake up in about ten minutes, long enough for us to get him to the building, and for you to restrain him with ice, yes?" the Script mage made it sound as if restraining my boyfriend would be easy.

"Sure, I guess" I replied as I half carried, half dragged Natsu over to our building. Cyrus followed me inside and I placed Natsu on the bed. Once I was sure Natsu was in a comfortable position I left him there alone. "Ice Make; Cocoon" I called on my magic, my ice forming a smooth shell over Natsu, which continued to grow until the entire bed was consumed in ice. I made sure Natsu could still breath in the icy prison, giving him a slot in the side through which to speak, most likely to hurl insults through. I then covered up the shell in a sheen of Devil Slayer ice, along with the windows. Once that was done Cyrus bowed to me. "I'm going to go deal with those two annoyances that have just showed up. Once I leave put a seal on the door, and I'll put my own spells around the building just to be extra careful" the brunette said, I nodded in compliance. Following him over to the door he stepped outside, before suddenly forming a fighting stance. I followed his line of sight and I quickly spotted what had cause his reaction. "Hey boys" a voice sounded; sitting on top of the adjacent building was a young boy wearing a shirt and waistcoat, both of which were shades of blue, along with matching trousers and shoes. He also wore a dark black cape over his shoulders. I looked over to Cyrus, about to ask him if he knew this newcomer, however the Script mage had already summoned up three barriers of enchantments, seemingly around the entire building, and was now holding his pen in the air ready to write an attack spell.

"Hello… Hope" the brunette stated, narrowing his eyes on the figure, which continued to sit cross legged on the adjacent building roof.

"Hiya" the boy stated again, a wicked grin on his face, "Now… where's the pinkie?" he asked.

 **Chapter 21 End**

 **Next Chapter; Small Bundle, Big Package**


	22. Chapter 22- Small Bundle, Big Package

**Chapter 22 – Small Bundle, Big Package**

 **Lucy POV**

The twin Nightmares watched with interest as Natsu was dragged off by Cyrus, the smaller Script mage not giving the Fire Dragon Slayer a moment to argue back, thankfully. Me and Erza shared a look, knowing full well that we had to delay these Nightmares here regardless of their strength. Oddly though, the twins made no attempt to follow their target. "Looks like he's safely out of the way" Madness commented suddenly, observing Natsu's retreat before turning his attention to the group of us. Sanity nodded in agreement. "Yes, now we just need to do our part of the plan" he stated. I looked at Sting and Rogue, who were already in their respective 'Drives', prepared for an all-out attack. "I think I'll let you take the gentlemen over there, I wanna have some fun with the ladies" Madness said to his brother, "Okay?"

"Fine with me" Sanity agreed. I looked to Erza one last time, she was already requipped into her Robe of Yūen armor, a nasty looking nagitana-like blade flashing in her hand. She nodded at me and charged forward.

"Enough talk, you came here to take our friend so we _must_ defeat you" Erza called "We won't stand for any more talk". Sting laughed as he charged forward, Rogue and him lunging toward Sanity.

"Come on Rogue" he called out, his voice an odd mix of joviality and seriousness. I smirked.

"Yeah" I said with confidence, pulling out my keys. "Come on, Loke" I said, the Lion's key in my hand. In a flash of golden light the leader of the zodiac stood before me. "Hey, beautiful" he winked at me when he appeared.

"Hey Loke, get your ass over there and fight that guy" I shouted at him. The Lion pushed his glasses up and readied his fists, running up beside Erza. "Glad to, I always love to hear that commanding tone of yours too" he replied. I sighed, but was thankful I could always rely on my spirits to help me. I readied another key, Virgo, in case I needed her, but I rested my hand on my Fleuve d'étoiles whip, I wasn't going to have time to sit this fight out whilst my spirits fought these Nightmares, especially if they were as powerful as the others I had seen. _I will fight_ I thought with determination.

In front of me a huge battle was already beginning. Madness moved with an almost feline agility, dodging expertly sent attacks from both Erza and Loke. "Golden Regulus, Regulus Impact" the celestial spirit cried out, sending a blast of light towards the Nightmare. Madness laughed as he dodged the attack by leaping up high into the air. Erza shot up, now in her Black Wing armor, her sword sent swiping down to attack the airborne man. Once again madness laughed as he used his legs to kick into a flip around, the momentum sending him out of the way of Erza's attack. "Impossible?!" the redhead stated as she landed down beside me. I looked on in shock, the man had easily avoided all of their attacks, without even using his powers once. Loke came to stand beside me. "Damn, he's one slippery bastard" he stated. I nodded to him.

"I've got an idea" I said, grasping my Fleuve d'étoiles firmly. Loke nodded to Erza as they both understood what to do. "When I grab him" I started, throwing the whip out towards the man, "You guys beat him senseless".

Madness laughed amusedly as the whip surged towards him. "Hmph, is that really your big plan" he commented, raising his eyebrows. He leapt sideways, crashing into Erza as he did so. The two were sent to the ground, however before the Nightmare could get back up again, Erza held him down with a vice-like grip. "Loke, now" she ordered. The Lion stood over the nightmare with a grin on his face, light glowing around each of his fists, however before he could send one down into the face of the Nightmare, the other man grinned. "This really would have been impressive, if you really _had_ me" he said, before vanishing instantly. Erza gave a look of confusion as the captive she held disappeared. "What?!" she said in disbelief.

"Where did he go?" Loke asked, looking around skeptically. I suddenly heard breathing behind me.

"I'm over here" he whispered, too late for me to react as his fist crashed into my back.

"Agh…" I cried out as the Nightmare stood over me.

"Lucy!" Loke shouted, running up to us. Madness gave him a wicked grin.

"Not another step, lover boy" he said, "Or the blonde gets it" I squirmed in his grip as he held me up by my hair. Despite my situation there were only two thoughts in my mind; _How did he get behind me?_ and _When did he escape?_

/

 **Sting POV**

Me and Rogue charged along with Erza, our target, the Nightmare of Sanity, standing before us. "Bring it!" the man said. I grinned, calling on my magic. Rogue and me both worked in perfect synchronicity, "White Dragon Roar" I called, matched by Rogue's Shadow Dragon Roar.

The two attacks spiraled together in a beautiful merge of shadow and light, black and white exploding forward at the Nightmare. We stood, our Dragon Force still active in case the Nightmare had avoided the attack and decided to counterattack. Despite our preparedness we couldn't fathom what lay before us; Sanity stood grinning, shrugging his shoulders with a careless motion.

"Was that really the best the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth could offer?" he mocked us.

"What, how did that not affect you?!" I called back in surprise. Rogue sent me a cautious look.

"Be careful Sting, the Triplet Code did warn us they were strong" the Shadow Dragon Slayer reminded me. I nodded. "Yeah, haven't seen anyone left standing after an attack like that except Natsu" I remarked.

Sanity laughed, a grin on his features. "You're really comparing me to that puny Salamander?" he stated, "Just for that I'm not going to let you have another free shot" he smirked, a purple haze enveloping his hands. I concentrated light to my fists.

"Come on Rogue, let's try to take him in close" I stated. Rogue nodded, melting away into shadows, before gliding up to Sanity. I charged forward at the same time. "White Dragon's Claw" I called, sending a fist of light smashing into Sanity's side, the stigmata forming where the attack struck. As soon as it was placed, and my target was paralyzed, Rogue leapt out from the darkness he had been hiding in. He was ready to deliver a tempest of blows onto our target; however, he didn't manage to leave one as Sanity deflected them with chops from his hands. We both dived back to where we started, wary now of the Nightmare. "You weren't paralyzed?" I asked him. Sanity shrugged again, an annoyingly cocky gesture.

"Of course not, no simple spell can hold me down" he stated. I gritted my teeth, this was proving a more difficult opponent than I thought, and from the few glimpses I caught of Erza and Lucy's fight we weren't going to be getting help from them any time soon. _Damn it… maybe we can try another combo attack_ I thought carefully. "Rogue, let's try again, but close range this time… something was off when he blocked our attacks before" I whispered to the other Dragon Slayer. Rogue nodded, melting into shadows once more.

"I'll try to land a few attacks and distract him, you strike when there's an opening" the shadow instructed me. I nodded, however as I approached the Nightmare again he shook his head.

"I think I'd rather avoid getting punched again, it's such a pain in the ass" he stated "Or 'pain in the side' I suppose" he added, the purple haze around his hands glowing brighter. "So let's try this; Mist" he commanded, the haze flashing blue before forming a light blue, sweet-smelling, smoke around the Nightmare, completely covering the area where we were fighting. "Wha-" I started as the smoke overcame me. I could hear the Nightmares laughter from inside the smog; "Now let's see how your well your teamwork does when you can't see the area in front of your nose" he called out.

"Rogue, Rogue" I called out, trying to find my guildmate, to no avail. I couldn't even do anything with my sense of smell, since the smoke was all I could make out. _Fuck, now he has the field advantage_ I cursed inwardly.

"Ha ha ha ha ha…" Sanity continued laughing, it was quite a brittle and hollow sound. The only noise to break the quiet of the mist was his laughter and the sudden sharp shriek uttered by Lucy. I briefly turned my gaze to where it came from. _Looks like Lucy's in trouble too_ I thought desperately, _But I'm not really in any position to help her_ I added, turning around in the magical fog, awaiting some kind of attack from Sanity.

"Boo!" he said behind me. I whirled, but was met with nothing but smoke once more. _Damn it!_

/

 **Gray POV**

"Hiya" Hope said to Cyrus, the three new barriers of enchantments that the Script mage summoned glittered. "Now… where's the pinkie?" the boy grinned. He appeared harmless, his eyes glittering with a childish innocence, however from Cyrus' reaction I could tell this boy must be powerful. " _Natsu_ is where you can't reach him, Hope" Cyrus said, eyes angry, but also worried.

Hope shrugged and stood from his cross-legged position on top of the adjacent roof. He jumped down, landing perfectly on the other side of Cyrus' barriers, his face still showing that amused grin. "By 'where you can't reach him', I assume you mean behind you in that house" the boy stated, "Am I right?" he asked.

"You already know that, don't play the fool" Cyrus stated back, his arm making small motions as he wrote letters in the air. Hope laughed.

"You're the one who's playing the fool, thinking you can taunt me with those little letters" he retorted. "And anyways, what's wrong with being a villain _and_ a fool?" he asked, "I'm quite fond of jesters and the like" he clapped his hands, an oddly child-like gesture coming from the imposing boy. Cyrus gritted his teeth, eyes flicking to me behind him.

"I personally dislike clowns and jesters, something unnerving about someone tumbling about for no good reason" he said. Hope laughed again.

"What, you mean like what you and Blake were doing last night when you tried to locate me and my pets" he jeered Cyrus.

Cyrus kept his demeanor relatively calm despite the insults. " _When I say duck…"_ he whispered to me.

"Oh duck, where?" Hope giggled "I like ducks". Cyrus flicked his pen one last time.

"Duck" he called out to me, practically tackling me to the ground as his spells activated. I caught a glimpse of red flashes, along with white and green, before huge explosions shook the outside of the building. I didn't have time to survey the damage, however, as Cyrus hauled me to my feet. "Ice the door" he commanded. I responded by quickly covering the now closed door in sheens of Devil Slayer Ice. I tripled the thickness, and quickly reinforced the window ice too.

Observing the outside through the icy window we could see a small crater where Hope had been. "Tch… he's still alive" Cyrus stated. I looked at him in disbelief, it seemed impossible, given all the power I felt in those attacks.

"If that's true where is he?" I asked the Script mage, who shrugged. I moved over to Natsu's side, casting a protective eye around the room. Cyrus moved between the windows, checking the outside.

"I'm up here" Hope's voice reverberated around the room. Cyrus looked up, at our ceiling.

"He's on the roof?" he stated, questioningly casting his eyes upwards. I noticed the flare of colour in his irises, his Scribe's Eyes active, obviously searching for a sign of Hope. "I can't find him" he stated to me. I nodded, looking out towards the street again.

"Let's play a little quiz" Hope's voice rang out again, his tone both taunting and childish. "How many times could I have struck Natsu and Gray where no one would see?" he asked us. I gave Cyrus a questioning glance, however he mouthed a response to me. _Indulge him_ he said silently. "I don't know" I replied to the invisible boy, "Two, maybe three?" I searched for an answer.

Hope laughed as a response. "Surprisingly correct. But do you know why?" he asked me. I shrugged, even though I knew he couldn't see.

"I don't know" I answered, making Hope giggle some more.

"I could have attacked you each time you ran off from the group to your cute little beach strip" he replied. "Despite knowing that you were there to protect Natsu, you still allowed yourselves to be put into a dangerous position all for the sake of your little relationship" he chided me, "You really didn't make it a challenge" I sighed and glanced at Cyrus, who rolled his eyes at me, more concerned with locating the Nightmare than with my lapse in judgement.

"I mean; I even know you've put your relationship before security; locking your boyfriend up in a little ice case on your bed. Do you like seeing him tied up?" Hope asked me. I gave a little shock in my voice.

"NO!" I replied embarrassedly. Hope chuckled; his voice seemed to be coming from everywhere, it was impossible to locate him.

"Hah, ha… I suppose I should thank you though, you packaged my present up so nicely. An easy to get at cocoon was just what the doctor ordered" Hope said. I looked around, panicked now. _Where is he?_

"You won't get Natsu as long as I'm here" I barked to the empty air.

"Oh, look who's tough now" he said with mocking tones in his reedy, child-voice. "You don't even know my power, yet you still stand… err… what I suppose you'd call 'strong', although its more like annoyance to me" the boy's voice sounded out. "Why don't you prove me wrong by coming outside and fighting me?" he challenged.

Cyrus shot me a glare. "Don't fall for it Gray, he really would destroy you with his powers" the brunette said. I nodded, fully aware of how powerful Nightmares could be from seeing Blake fight the Sandman on that night, what seemed like ages ago. "Hope is probably one of the strongest, if not the strongest of all twelve of the Nightmares" Cyrus continued, before Hopes voice cut in again.

"Now, now, Cyrus. You wouldn't be _telling_ , would you?" he said in a scolding tone, "Because you know, if you choose to tell him about my powers then I might have to take some action. Perhaps the roof might just collapse in and kill you all, hmmm?" the boy threatened. I gritted my teeth.

"You wouldn't do that!" I barked at him.

"Oh, why is that, Ice Boy?" he questioned.

"If you collapsed the roof you'd kill Natsu too" I stated matter-of-factly. Hope muttered something.

"I suppose that's a _point_ " he said, earning me a look of approval from Cyrus, "But!" he interjected, "I would also take the time to note that you've already sealed your boy in that ice cube, he would most likely survive" Hope added, "So no, I really would drop the roof on your heads". I glanced back over to Natsu. _Damn it!_ I cursed inwardly, annoyed that the boy Nightmare could so easily out smart me. "But regardless, back to our quiz…" Hope started again.

"Enough playing around, if you're really here to take Natsu you're going to have to fight us. Are you just a coward thinking you can make me leave Natsu to you?" I shouted angrily. "If you have been watching us for so long that you _could_ have attacked us all those times then you must also have noticed how much I care for him. I will not allow you to take him!" I roared.

At that a tap was heard at the window, Hope's face peering distortedly through the ice and glass. He grinned menacingly. "You really want to be calling me a coward, trying to piss me off. Did I not make it clear enough that I'm stronger than you?" he said. Cyrus grinned, at last Hope had given away his position. Our hope did not last, however, as another tap sounded on the other window; another image of Hope grinning clear through the glass and ice. "What?" I barked confusedly, causing both Hopes to laugh.

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to give myself away as easily as that?" he queried, "Although I suppose it wouldn't really matter, since it would still result in your defeat" he added cockily. "But regardless, I have remained undetected since your arrival because of my skills in illusion" he smirked. "I was watching you from your first step in this cove".

I looked to Cyrus, who wore a stoic mask, although I could tell he was equally as surprised as me. "That's impossible" the Script mage stated. The two Hopes shook their heads.

"Not impossible; your spells were amusing but not difficult to beat" he commented. "Although they weren't as amusing as watching those two hide their relationship" his voice still sounded around us.

"Watching us hide our relationship?" I questioned him. The images at the windows disappeared. "What does that have to do with us fighting now?" I was really confused; this nightmare seemed to just chatter on rather than fight, although I had to admit hearing him analyze me and Natsu both angered and frightened me. I glanced over to the pinkette in the ice cocoon, and noticed him murmur. "Ah, looks like sleeping beauty's gonna wake up soon" Hope said, "Maybe I can have a nice chat with him too".

"You won't do anything to Natsu" I argued again. As I spoke out, I noticed Cyrus move into my line of sight, he held my arm tightly.

"Hope's been waiting for Natsu to wake up" he said to me, realisation dawning. _He was delaying because, after watching Natsu over the past couple of days, he knows he can taunt him into fighting him_ I realised, suddenly feeling uneasy, _If Natsu takes the bait and breaks out of there then he'll be easy pickings for Hope to capture_ …

"I can see from your expression you've realised exactly what I've been waiting for; Natsu will break out of there and fight me" Hope laughed. "You two really are predictable; although I must admit that expression on your face right now is priceless" he giggled.

"Show yourself, or else you really are a coward!" I called out to him.

An audible sigh sounded out. "Hmph… you're still prattling on about that" Hope said, "Because you do realise my reluctance to fight is more out of amusement than cowardice. If you want a true example of a coward, you should look no further than yourself. And your boyfriend of course" Hope accused.

I furrowed my brows. "How am I a coward, I want to fight you!" I answered gruffly, earning another sharp look from Cyrus, who was still looking around for any sign of the boy.

"You _and_ your boyfriend are cowards. Here's what I saw when I observed you…" he breathed in deeply, "You're both desperate to be with each other, but for some reason your reluctant to pursue your relationship, although I don't really care why that is. You both try to sneak around and be 'subtle', but in doing so you're more obvious. You also completely freaked out as soon as you thought someone was 'on to you', so really, how is my game of hide-and-seek less cowardly than avoiding your feelings and burying that which is plainly obvious, hmmmmm?" Hope finished. I stood dumbstruck; this boy, our enemy, knew exactly how our relationship had been since we had come here. _And he also knew our secrets too_ I thought darkly.

"Gray, don't be provoked…" Cyrus warned. I shook my head.

"I'm… not" I said quietly. "What Hope says is true" I added, "However… he also missed one thing… you hear me!" I shouted out.

"What did I miss?" the boy asked.

"If you watched us, did you see us on our little beach, did you see us make our agreement?" I asked him. Hope remained silent at this, making me smirk. "Then you didn't, or at least, you didn't _hear_ us" I stated.

"So what?" Hope stated childishly, obviously annoyed that I had ruined his taunting.

I grinned slightly wider, walking over to where Natsu lay, the pink haired Dragon Slayer tossing a little in the bed. "Our agreement… You may not have heard what it was, and you probably don't care, however… it made me so happy to be with Natsu, he was so happy…" I muttered. "And in order to keep that happiness, I will fight you. I must…" I glanced over to the window facing the street outside our door, noting a shadowed figure.

"It seems like you have something to fight for then" Hope commented, stepping out into the light in front of our building, "And yes, unfortunately for you I don't care what your agreement was, but I will tell you this" he began laughing, "I'm going to take great pleasure in watching you shatter as I kill your boyfriend" he giggled. I stood beside Cyrus at the window as Hope stood out there grinning at us. "Although it would've been easier if you _did_ give up, since all this is going to cause me unnecessary hassle" the boy shrugged, "But oh well… you want to fight, then let's fight" he said, a final, angry tone to his voice.

He then raised his hands to the door, pressing first against the layers of protective spells placed there by Cyrus. "He's going to smash through those spells quite quickly I'm afraid" Cyrus reasoned, "Get ready" I nodded, icy mist raising around me.

"Don't worry, I am. That little runt is going to get torn apart" I grinned, standing on the other side of the door. "Ice Make; …"

/

 **Blake POV**

I stood in a crouched position on the roof of the dining hall. As Erza, Sting and Rogue charged I did exactly as Cyrus instructed me and retreated to observe the Nightmares, trying to work out their abilities. "You need to get information on them whilst the others wear them down, then you can go and fight them. You should be strong enough to deal with them, and the others will be there to back you up" Cyrus had said to Blake as the two Nightmares made their initial appearance.

I gave him some sleeping powder to help him subdue Natsu and then followed through with the plan, however things were not going as expected. The twins seemed much stronger than they initially appeared, being able to both counter and avoid the perfectly sent attacks of all of the wizards. Not only that but Lucy, Erza and the Dragon Slayers all already seemed a little tired. _Probably from fighting the bugs…_ I reasoned.

Continuing to watch I saw as Madness was caught by Erza, only to disappear. I also saw how he just seemed to appear behind Lucy. _Teleportation?_ I thought suddenly, before almost leaping forward to assist as I saw Lucy being grabbed by the Nightmare and held up in front of Erza and Leo by her hair. She had a few tears in her eyes, probably from the pain, however she seemed more confused than frightened. _She is strong_ I thought proudly, _however she is still in trouble… perhaps I should help her_ …

My hands went to my belt of potions of their own accord, each grasping a bottle of Pain Potion. My thumbs held the stoppers; _Maybe if I throw these it'll give her enough time to escape… I'd just need to get behind him…_

My thoughts were disrupted as something glowed in Lucy's hand; a key. "Come on out Virgo" she called bravely, despite the threat of the Nightmare gripping her. The maid-like spirit appeared, causing the Nightmare to let go of her as Virgo tried to attack him. He vanished again, reappearing a few steps away from her. "Nice one girl…" he purred in an annoyed tone. I smirked. _He must be able to teleport short distances…_ I thought, before flicking my gaze over to where Sting and Rogue fought. I had seen the smoke screen go up, but no one had come out of it yet. _Damn, so I can only observe one target…_ I cursed, placing my Pain Potions back in my belt. _I might need to use something a little stronger than those if that guy is a quick teleporter_ I added mentally, deciding to continue taking note of the Nightmare I _could_ see.

 _I wonder how Cyrus is doing with Natsu, since he hasn't come back yet_ I added, noting the few small explosions that resonated around Natsu and Gray's building. _Perhaps that dose of sleeping powder wasn't enough?_

 _No matter… we just have to protect him from these for now…_

/

 **Lucy POV**

I stood facing off against the surprised Madness. "Nice on girl…" he breathed angrily. "But your spirits aren't going to save you for long" he added. At that he seemed to disappear, reappearing a little distance away. "Teleportation?" I heard Erza question. Madness laughed.

"Maybe…" he grinned. I shook my head. _If it was teleportation it would have only taken a moment for him to appear there, why did it take him a little longer than that?_ I thought, trying to analyze my opponent. _I don't have to power to summon many more spirits_ I calculated, _Summoning Taurus and Sagittarius before means I don't have much power left_ …

"Lucy, I'm going back to the spirit world, I'll back in a minute on my own power. Save your strength" Loke shouted over to me. I turned to him.

"Thank you" I thanked him, glad of the reprieve.

"No problem" he said, vanishing in a flash of light. I knew it would take him a few moments to reappear, so I had to try to work out his guy's abilities before then.

"Right…" I said, trying to think. Madness stood grinning at me.

"Not going to play, eh?" he asked me, "Then I guess I'll have to _make_ you" he vanished. Laughter echoed around us, Erza stood at my back trying to locate him.

"Um… Princess?" Virgo questioned, "How are we going to punish him if we can't see or find him?"

As Virgo spoke an idea hit me. _See him?... Of course!_ The realisation swept over me. "Virgo, I want you to kick up the ground around us, see if we can land some mud or sand on him" I instructed her. She bowed.

"Of course, Princess" she bowed, tunneling under the ground quickly. As she moved about underground Virgo made the ground churn, becoming softer, pools of mud forming.

"Why are we kicking up the ground, Lucy?" Erza asked me. I smirked at her.

"I think I've worked out his ability" I replied. The redhead nodded at me, before Virgo reappeared. The softened ground left foot prints clearly and soon I noticed some mud cling to an unseen creature. "Damn, you got me" Madness' voice sounded out, before reappearing again, the mud spots visible on his trousers. I smirked.

"You don't teleport; you turn invisible" I stated knowingly. The Nightmare nodded.

"Clever little girl, aren't you?" he replied, "Not many people live long enough to work out my powers" he added. "However… even if you can see me like this it doesn't mean you have beaten me" he laughed, before vanishing again, the mud spots still visible to us. "Unlike some uncivilized Nightmares, that sleepy bastard Dreams, for example, I actually respect a person who understands and learns" Madness called out from his not-really-invisible standing position. "So yeah, I think you deserve to know… my ability is Camouflage, I can turn invisible and reappear. But I also have another ability that Hope taught me… I can create clones of myself" he added, "Mere illusions they aren't really good at fighting… however…" he giggled, "They're good enough that you can hold them for a few minutes without realising they aren't the real thing".

I narrowed my eyes towards where I thought he was. "So before, you jumped one way whilst turning invisible and sent a clone the other for Erza to grab?" I asked him, processing the new information he gave me.

"Yep" Madness replied, "Now… enough chit chat… back to fighting" he said, the mud spots retreating away from us.

"Oh no you don't" I called out to him, sending my Fleuve d'étoiles forward to grab him. He cackled as he reappeared, jumping high into the air. Once more Erza flew up to meet him, however once again he flipped out of the way with a kick. "Oh yes I do" he chattered, disappearing once again. I tried to locate the mud spots, however I was too late as they disappeared into the blue mist that had enveloped Sting and Rogue a short time ago.

"He's in the mist" I called to Erza. She nodded.

"Yeah, so are Sting and Rogue" she stated. "Perhaps we should head in and try to help them?" she added, her sword swiped in the air as a sign of strength.

"No need" Sting's voice sounded out as the blond Dragon Slayer charged out of the mist. I was not surprised to see him retreat, however my jaw dropped as I saw him charge out of the light blue smoke carrying his Shadow Dragon partner princess style out with him. "Rogue tried to fight him, whilst I was lost…" Sting puffed, setting a slightly battered Rogue down on his feet.

"Seems like neither of us have made much progress in defeating them then" Erza commented, "Are you injured Rogue?" she asked the black haired man. Rogue shook his head.

"Just a few bruises" he replied, "I can still fight" Erza nodded, turning her head towards the mists. I gave Rogue another look up and down; both he and Sting had dropped their Dragon Force Drives, and although Rogue looked a little more battered, it was clear both he and Sting had received a beating in that fog. _They're just as tired as we are from fighting those insects_ I noted, turning my attention towards the mist in time to see it dissipate, revealing a pair of bored looking men within. _And they've hardly had to use any power yet_ I added a little pessimistically.

Madness was the first to speak as they reappeared. "Well… this is boring" he stated, "It's all going exactly as Hope predicted. First we send the insects attacking them with a few well-placed illusions, and then we pick up the pieces and kill them whilst they're recovering".

At the mention of the Nightmare of Hope Blake shot upwards, landing directly in front of us. I hadn't seen him fight yet, _he must have hung back to gauge their strength before fighting_ I reasoned. The dark haired demon-mage wore a scowling expression. "Why weren't you fighting Blake?" Erza asked, although I think she already knew exactly why.

INFORMATION GATHERING

He wrote quickly in the air. This earned a snort of derision from Sanity. "Oh really, well then… what have you learned?" the Nightmare asked him mockingly.

Blake smirked, beginning to write again, so that everyone, including the Nightmares, could see.

I'VE LEARNED THREE THINGS.

ONE; MADNESS CAN TURN HIMSELF INVISIBLE, BUT NOT OTHER OBJECTS.

TWO; YOU CAN USE SOME BASIC ILLUSIONARY MAGIC, BUT REALLY YOUR POWER IS TO COUNTER SPELLS WITH EQUAL MAGIC. HENCE WHY YOU COULD EASILY NULLIFY STING AND ROGUE'S ATTACKS BY USING THE OPPOSITE ELEMENT WITH EQUAL STRENGTH.

AND THREE; YOU EACH CHOSE YOUR TARGETS BASED ON YOUR SKILLS. MADNESS IS A GREAT PHYSICAL COMBAT SPECIALIST, BUT IS NOT SO GOOD AGAINST RANGED ATTACKS, WHEREAS YOU, SANITY, PREFER TO KEEP AT RANGE, HENCE WHY YOU SUMMONED THAT MIST AS SOON AS STING AND RGOUE GOT CLOSE.

AM I RIGHT?

He grinned cockily. Sanity looked a little annoyed, but then shrugged. "Half right" he admitted. "Your correct about Madness' invisibility, and you're correct that our targets were chosen specifically to do with our individual skill sets… however, you're wrong about our powers" he stated "I don't just counter spells, I alter them balance of positive and negative energy to make them stop working, then they dissipate of their own accord" he corrected "And that's not all yet either". Blake gave a confused look.

ENLIGHTEN ME.

He wrote. Sanity laughed. "You really want to know… well then… I guess we could answer your queries, although first I'd think we'd have to reintroduce ourselves" Sanity looked to his brother.

"Indeed" Madness agreed. Blake rolled his eyes and gestured for them to continue, although his vision stayed narrowed on the pair. The two grinned.

"I am the Nightmare of Sanity, one half of the Nightmare of Conscious" he stated.

"And I am the Nightmare of Madness, the other half of the Nightmare of Conscious" his brother added. They both gave a cocky grin as Blake sweat dropped for a second, before recovering with a very severe expression now on his features.

"We were killed and rose again, dear Blake" Sanity cackled, "And now you face two people, each a half of the greater whole" he added. As soon as they introduced themselves again, I saw Blake's hands ball into fists. _What's wrong with him?_ I questioned.

"Er… Blake?" I took a step closer to the teen, however he sent his arm out to stop me.

DON'T STEP CLSOER, THEY MAY TRY TO ATTACK US BOTH. YOU ALL HAVE TO GET BACK.

He wrote rapidly. Sting furrowed his brows. "Why's that?" he asked.

BECAUSE THEY ARE A RESSURRECTED VERSION A PERVIOUSLY DEFEATED NIGHTMARE. WE WERE AWARE THE NIGHTMARE OF CONCIOUS HAD BEEN BROUGHT BACK, BUT DID NOT KNOW IT'S NEW FORM. IT TOOK ALL THREE OF US TO BRING THAT MONSTER DOWN LAST TIME, AND IF THESE ARE INDEED THE REBORN VERSION THEN ONLY I HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST THEM.

He wrote. I looked worriedly at the pair, who stood grinning maniacally. "Yes, the Nightmare of Conscious, which all three of the Triplet Code had to defeat together, now stands before you. Unfortunately, only one of the Triplet Code is here and it will take significantly more than _him_ to defeat us" Madness quipped, gesturing dismissively at Blake.

I DON'T CARE IF IT'S ONLY ME. I WILL DEFEAT YOU.

Blake wrote, before pulling out two bottles of potions. I stood in shock; _He is actually going to fight them two on one?!_

"Lucy, we need to do as he says and get back for now" Erza said. I looked to her with surprise.

"But…" I started.

"Remember, Blake defeated that other Nightmare, he should be fine against this one" she stated. I nodded and started retreating into the dining hall, clearing the way so Erza and Sting could help Rogue into the building too.

Then we sat and watched as the real battle began, with Blake facing off against not one, but two Nightmares _. Or perhaps it should be said against two halves of a Nightmare?_

 **Chapter 22 End**

 **Next Chapter; Double Duels**


	23. Chapter 23 - Double Duels

**Chapter 23 – Double Duels**

 **General POV**

Blake stood in front of the two Nightmares, Sanity and Madness. Despite the situation he was surprisingly calm. Sanity stood grinning, whilst Madness ground his teeth annoyingly. "I feel kind of insulted" Madness stated.

"Why is that, brother?" Sanity mused, a smirk on lips.

"Well… he really seems to think that he can defeat both of us" he replied, shooting Blake a glare. Blake shrugged, his expression remaining passive.

"Don't worry brother, he won't be like that for long" Sanity stated, unfolding his arms and allowing a purple shimmer to overcome each of his hands. "Isn't that right?" Blake grinned at this, swirling the liquids in each of the phials he held in his hands. They each held a different substance; one a purple-lilac colour, the other a deep red. He removed each of their stoppers and activated his magic. The red reacted first, his Number 10; Pain Potion, the red liquid erupting out of the phial, turning into a gaseous vapor. The purple then activated, it was the Number 12; Defense Vapor 1, and it formed a dome of purple haze around the black haired mage. Sanity looked amused by this display. "Trying to defend or something?" he mused, however Blake remained firm, using the subtlest hints of his magic power to direct the gases. They swirled around him, purple mixing with red to form a deep burgundy colour now, the dome reshaping into a cube of the new gas-cloud. "It'll do you no good, those puny gases cannot hold up against my powers" Sanity boasted. Blake held both of the empty glass phials in one hand, bringing out the light pen to reply.

GO ON THEN. TRY IT.

He wrote, grinning wickedly. He could see the others observe him from the dining hall window. _Might as well give them a good show_ he thought self-confidently. Sanity riled. "Fine then, I want to see you squirm as you realise the futility of that weak defense" he barked, the shimmering haze around his hands glowing brighter.

After a moment multiple explosions rocked against the barrier, however not one tore through. "That's not possible!" Sanity barked.

IT IS.

Blake wrote in reply.

THIS IS A MIXTURE OF THE DEFENSE POTION VER. 1 AND THE PAIN POTION. ANY MOMENT NOW YOU SHOULD FEEL THE EFFECT OF ATTACKING IT.

He added, watching intently. After a moment Sanity doubled over, howling in pain. Madness, who had been watching with a predatory amusement, gaped. "How did you manage to do that to my brother?" he questioned, more out of curiosity than brotherly concern.

THIS BARRIER WILL PREVENT ANYTHING MAGICAL THAT TOUCHES IT FROM PASSING THROUGH, AND WILL ALSO INFLICT PAIN ON THINGS THAT DO MAKE CONTACT. IN HIS CASE HIS MAGIC TOUCHED IT, SO THE PAIN MOVED THROUGH RESIDUAL MAGIC BACK TO HIM, INFLICTING PAIN.

Blake explained. Madness nodded and grinned, crouching lower, a menacing look in his eye. "So you're saying it only stops magical things?" he grinned. Blake narrowed his eyes, reaching down to his belt. After a few moments staring each other down Madness leapt, his leg swiping the gas in swift kick. It rebounded, but he was not deterred by the pain it inflicted on him, striking repeatedly, the barrier quickly giving. Despite losing his barrier, Blake was not undeterred; it has served its purpose and bought him the time to bring out another potion, one he knew would be able to stop, or at least weaken, Madness. He held four phials in his hand, one held between each finger, as holes began to appear in his defense. They each contained a black ooze that, when the stoppers where removed, climbed out of their phials of their own accord. The oozes quickly fell to the floor in puddles, forming 'men', or at least shapes resembling humans, two arms and two legs, perhaps a face if that blob could be called one. The creatures formed a defensive line between Madness and Blake, as the mage tapped the two phials in his other hand and returned the gaseous concoctions to their storing cylinders. Madness fell forward a step as the barrier disappeared, catching himself whilst eying the inky beings cautiously.

"Do you think these… things, would be able to stop me?" he queried the mage. Blake shrugged, causing Madness to cackle. He swiped at them with his hand, crashing through one of their liquid bodies with ease. "They can do nothing to stop me" he grinned, trying to move forward towards Blake. The other ink creatures moved and pummeled Madness with fist-like balls on the ends of their 'arms', giving Blake time to dash around away from the younger twin. Sanity still remained incapacitated from the pain he had received, since Blake had deliberately increased the pain for him with his magic, knowing it wouldn't deter his brother anyways he didn't bother doing it against Madness. As Madness fought to be free of the ink men Blake had time to pull out a few other potions, all ready to be used when his target broke out. After a few moments of struggled fighting Madness escaped and Blake chose to return the oozes to their phials, eying the Nightmare up amusedly.

"You're going to die for that!" he swore, disappearing with his ability. Blake sighed and removed the stopper from one of the phials, a great swathe of flame erupting forth and striking the invisible Nightmare. "Agh…" he cried out in pain, "How can you find me?!" he called out, reappearing, before looking down at his slightly-smoldering clothes. His eyes widened with realisation. "You covered me with ink from those creatures!" he roared, noticing at last all of the spots and stains visible on his person.

"I'll kill you!" he barked, bounding forward. Blake cocked his head and brought off another stopper from another one of the phials he was holding. As he did the volatile, translucent, green liquid erupted forth, transforming quickly into an emerald gas twister, spinning around Blake's person and sending Madness flying around the air, carried up by the strong air burst. Once Blake deemed he was high enough he tapped the phials of both the Hurricane Potion and the Blaze, reclaiming their contents before replacing them in his belt. Madness, no longer carrier upwards by the air currents fell downwards, however, unlike Blake had predicted, he stretched his arms out in front of him, facing the ground. Hitting the soft earth with a loud thud he immediately leapt upwards, he landed like a cat jumping off of a building, and was now bounding towards Blake once more. The dark haired wizard noticed the attack only a fraction of a second too late, trying to remove the stopper off his defense vapor, however Madness charged straight into him, tackling him down.

"Heh, no potion to defend yourself now, is there?" he cackled hysterically, grinning down at Blake pinned below him. The Nightmare had his knees pressed to each of Blake's arms, stopping him from reaching down to his belt. He raised his arm up, balling his hand into a fist, before sending it downward, crashing into Blake's face. The demon mage couldn't use his potions, and unless he could remove the seal he and Cyrus put in place years ago, he couldn't use his Harmony Voice magic either. He was trapped below the Nightmare.

Not long after he had been pinned he noticed a shuffling shadow behind Madness; Sanity rose up to his feet, an angry glare in his eyes. "Beat that bastards face in Madness" Sanity commanded. The twin nodded to his brother in compliance, bring his fist up again, landing another blow on Blake's cheek. Squirming slightly Blake managed to shove Madness up after a few more attacks, quickly reaching for a potion on his belt; the Number 3 Demon Blood potion. Sanity tutted and a small explosion of magical energy around the phial sent it tumbling out of his hand. Madness cackled once more as he stomped on it with his foot, the blue-black contents spilling out over the ground with a faint hissing-sizzling noise. Blake gave a panicked look for a moment.

"Did you think I'd forget what _that_ potion can do, demon?" Sanity mused as he and Madness closed in on Blake from both sides, "How you used it to defeat us, and _kill_ us, last time, hmmmm?" he sounded menacing, and Blake didn't have any option but to continue slowly retreating.

Madness rolled his eyes and darted forwards, roughly grabbing Blake's shirt and throwing him against the wall of the dining hall, before slumping down like a ragdoll. Blake could see the eyes of everyone trying to watch the fight, he knew any second they'd intervene, however he wasn't sure how much good it would do; facing even two halves of this Nightmare were proving too great for him alone. He need backup from Walter, but it was unlikely it would arrive in time. Wracking his mind, desperate to figure out some way to defeat these two, or at least prolong the fight, Blake failed to notice the sounds of footsteps. "Blake!" Lucy called out, a glowing key in her hand. Sagittarius the archer appeared, following Lucy's command to fire at the Nightmares quickly. The arrows he sent towards the Nightmares forced them to evade and gave him the distance he needed; in no more than a second he pulled out two potions, sending out both the purple and red mists again to form a wall between the guild mages, himself, and the Nightmares. "Hmph!" Madness pouted at them, "You spoiled my fun" he complained. Erza, Sting, Rogue and Lucy all stood between Blake and the Nightmares. As Rogue and Erza stared them down, Sting and Lucy tended to Blake. The demon mage was hoisted up with help from Sting, Lucy looking over his injuries with a critical glance. "You need our help" she stated, matter-of-factly. Blake tried to get the pen to respond, but found he must have dropped it somewhere during his fight. Sting smirked, "Looks like you can't say 'no' then" he mused. Blake sent him a glare, but nodded his head; he knew it was futile to try and argue the point now, so instead he turned his attention to the Nightmares.

They were standing with their arms folded, looking at him with predatory gazes. "Done arguing? We can continue?" Madness asked, voice edging with excitement.

"Try it and we'll beat you senseless" Erza challenged.

"I seem to recall our fight a bit differently to you it seems" Madness countered.

"We know your powers now though, plus your injured from Blake's assault" she retorted back. Madness glared angrily. His muscles tense, ready to leap, however something stopped him; a sudden crackling sound filled the area, followed by a great _snap_ of displaced air. Lightning arced from the treed cover of the forest, shooting forward too fast to avoid and hitting both of the Nightmares. Madness howled in pain, whilst Sanity tried to use his powers to avoid the majority of the attack. "Where did that come from?" Rogue commented, surprised by the sudden shock.

"Laxus?" Lucy inquired, however Erza shook her head, gesturing towards the silhouette of a lone figure. Sanity laughed. "Whoever it was they're _dead_!" he said, flinging displaced magical energy at the new target, only to have rocks burst out of the ground and strike him, knocking his attack off target and causing an explosion of energy high into the sky.

"Now now, that's not nice to do to a newcomer" a cocky voice sounded out from the darkness. Blake grinned hearing the familiar tone. Walter stood out in front of the two Nightmares, clad in a bright yellow suit with silvery lightning bolt patters on its lapels. He wore matching yellow gloves. Sanity scowled at him as two more figures emerged, these two were atop great tigers, beasts that made the riders no less fearsome.

"Is one of those two Hope?" Lyon Vastia asked the grinning, brightly suited man.

"Based on what we observed of their powers I wouldn't believe so, isn't that correct Walter?" said the other, much taller figure, atop his own Snow Tiger. Jura Neekis stroked his beard carefully, eying up the pair like a dragon would a bunny rabbit. Walter nodded at the taller mage. "Correct, these two are just some hired help I believe" he replied, before looking over to Blake. "Looks like they gave you some trouble buddy" he commented, "Although the question is why… I only saw a few glimpses of their powers in what they've just done. That one seems to be mostly concerned with physical power, whilst the other one can manipulate the balance of magical energy in an area, right Blake?" he analysed. Blake nodded weakly at his teammate, thankful that at least Walter caught on quickly. Lyon cracked a smile. "From what my scout birds could overhear they're the Nightmares of Conscious, whatever that is" the Ice mage said. Walter narrowed his eyes at them.

"So I take it Hope brought you back as a pair of good, obedient doggies?" he mused, although his face seemed dead serious. Walter's whole form flashed in a Requip, now wearing a deep grey suit. "Unfortunately I can't stay to play with them, but you two can. Be careful" Walter said to the Lamia Scale wizards, using his Swift magic to appear nearer to Blake, but still with the Nightmares before him. "Hope's here already, I can sense his presence" Walter explained to his team member. Blake nodded gravely, quickly grasping the situation, now understanding what those explosions must have been. Walter grinned at him, "If anyone can hold him off Cyrus and Gray can. I'll go back them up whilst you all deal with those two" he moved to take a step, however Sanity and Madness blocked his path.

"I'm afraid we can't let you pa-" Sanity began to say. He couldn't finish as Walter simply appeared in front of them, sending a yellow gloved fist into each of their faces with enough force to do some serious damage, if they were human that is. Only briefly stunned they tried to continue blocking his path, however Walter had long since disappeared off to find Hope.

Now without him there, Blake, and the pairs from Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale and Sabertooth would have to deal with the twin Nightmares. Despite those odds the battle, as ever, was not going to be easy, for either side.

/

 **Gray's POV**

"Ice Make; Saucer" I commanded, another icy attack being sent at the young boy Nightmare.

Hope giggled amusedly as he deftly dodged to the side, avoiding the attack with ease. He had shattered Cyrus' multiple layers of spells in a matter of seconds, swiftly followed by the door and the ice I had placed on it. Sending as many icy objects as I could at him he avoided every single one with ease, as if he saw them all coming. Cyrus had fired off a few spells of his own, the Script mage standing between me and Natsu as Hope began to move into the building. The Script mage had instructed me to 'keep him busy' whilst he wrote some long and complex spell into the air with his pen. Initially I thought my spells might at least slow Hope down, however I was soon proved wrong, and the constant stream of attacks was wearing me down instead. Panting I decided to stop aiming for him directly and instead try another approach. "Ice Make; Ice Geyser" I called out furiously, planting my palms into the ground as an explosion of Ice shot upwards in front of me. Hope continued grinning, however he was hit by the attack, being forced back outside by the icy eruption. At the same time as my spell hit Hope I saw a spell shoot forward from Cyrus' direction, a golden bolt of light. It flew forward, easily swerving to avoid the ice, the rubble left from the building, and hitting Hope in the shoulder. My attack had left the entire front of the building decimated, rubble laying in all directions. It appeared the neighboring building had been damaged as well, however now was not the time to worry about destroying stuff. _I will… must… protect Natsu_ I thought, charging my magic for another blow against the now injured Nightmare. I grinned, noting the torn hole in the fabric of Hope's blue waistcoat and shirt, the small blood stains around the wound. "Looks like we finally managed to do some damage" I relayed to Cyrus, who narrowed his eyes on Hope.

"Indeed" he commented, his voice odd, like he didn't believe it would be that easy. "However… it looks like it doesn't really matter" Cyrus added, gesturing over to Hope, who nodded at me.

"He's right, there's a reason I'm considered one of the most powerful Nightmares" he said to me, very pompously. As he spoke he raised his hand to his shoulder, covering the wound with his flattened palm. After a few seconds he lowered it, smirking at my surprise; the wound, fabric tear, even the blood, was all gone. It had completely healed. "How is that-?" I couldn't finish my sentence, shocked surprise still taking me. The only person I had ever seen recover so quickly from damage like that was Sherria, and this young boy did not seem like a Sky God Slayer. Hope tutted, "Hmph… it's not like you really need to know, but I happen to be very skilled at a wide variety of magic" the boy said, dodging to the side as Cyrus fired two small fire balls at him.

"You don't need to know his powers Gray, he'll kill you the second he gets the chance, just attack him" the brunette said, coming to stand beside me in the face off against Hope.

The Nightmare sighed. "He asked a valid question, Cyrus" the boy retorted, easily dodging a few more attacks, each a small bolt of lightning fired from Cyrus' magic, "Anyways, I've somewhat mastered a few magical abilities, including elemental control, Fire magic, Water magic, Lightning… the list goes on. I've learned a little Illusion magic too, although all I can really do is create copies of things" the boy admitted humbly, "And I don't really know any Ice Magic, which is kind of annoying right now but… that's just how it is" he added, before clicking his fingers. "Observe" he said, conjuring up a few flickering, dancing flames around him. Cyrus immediately started writing something in red, obviously preparing to counter any fire attack, however I was unafraid of this power; it's not like fire wasn't something I hadn't dealt with before. Hope's expression then turned wicked as he made a few hand gestures and the flames all shot forward, towards me. They curled together, forming a spinning, spiral of red-orange, however they did not make their mark. "Ice Make; Shield" I commanded, the flames rebounding harmlessly off of the ice and dissipating in the air. "Very good" Hope remarked as his attack failed and my shield disappeared.

I gave him a slightly dismissive glance. "I've felt hotter flames when trying against Natsu when we were kids" I retorted, earning a shrug from the Nightmare.

"I was testing your reactions, not your resilience" he replied, jumping back as Cyrus sent a couple more fire balls at him.

"Stop chatting with him Gray, he's trying to buy more time, remember?" the Script mage stated. I nodded, my eyes flicking to Natsu's sleeping form for a moment. Cyrus smirked, "Focus, he's just stepped somewhere he'll soon regret" I glanced back over at Hope, who stood with an annoyed expression. Tapping the area straight in front of him a sheen of grey runes appeared. "Whilst I was preparing that seeking attack I layered the place with a few enchantments as well" Cyrus explained, "I'll use my powers to keep him locked down, you blast him with as much ice as you can muster" I nodded.

Forming an icy mist around my form I called upon all my powers. "Ice Make; Saucers" I commanded, sending three spinning, icy saws towards Hope, who shook his head and folded his arms. A slight sheen covered his body, probably some kind of protective spell. I continued calling on my powers, an array of swords, blades, hammers, and other deadly objects being flung towards Hope. Some missed the boy, some were lucky enough to hit him, although he always avoided the attacks that would cause serious damaged, especially the saw that was meant to decapitate him. After a few moments I stopped, my energy low from having fought the bugs earlier, especially conjuring that tunnel; I had to conserve it as best I could. Despite my efforts Hope still stood with his arms folded, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "You're done?" he asked me. I glowered at him; _how can he still be standing?_ I thought angrily. Then I noticed that, much like before, all the wounds inflicted on him were healing up, the tears in the clothes, and the blood stains vanishing as if nothing had ever happened. "Impressive, isn't it. My immortality given to me by my innate power really is useful" Hope remarked, stepping forwards and placing his hand against the barrier. Cyrus had his teeth gritted, concentrating on maintaining the confinement carefully. Hope continued speaking to me; "My name, the Nightmare of Hope, is not ironic, I represent every shred of Hope my creator had, and my powers stem from this" he explained. I furrowed my brows, trying to regenerate my magical energy whilst listening to his explanation. "What does that have to do with your powers?" I asked him, buying a little more time for myself.

Hope smirked. "Humans, such as they are, are greedy and self-interested creatures. They all have three things that they _always_ hope for. The first, and most common, is hoping for good luck, or good fortune" Hope stated, "The second is the hope for ever more of that most precious commodity; time. They always hope for a 'long and happy life' wanting more and more time to do things. The final, third hope is their hope for a better situation than they have already, a hope for better things" he stated, taking a deep breath, "My powers reflect these three hopes. Through the Hope for Luck, I can buff myself up, increasing my speed, agility and strength, that was why it was so easy for me to evade your attacks. I could also increase my resistance and durability, minimize the damage of your attacks when you unleashed all of those things before" he continued. "The Hope for Time, gives me powers to manipulate the flow of time, reverting it back so myself or other objects reverse their flow. I can also manipulate a person's perspective of time" he pushed harder against the barrier, and I heard Cyrus groan, "By reversing times flow I basically undid all of your attacks effects on me. It is this power that keeps me in the body of a child and allows me to resurrect Nightmares, by reverting them to their previous forms and rebuilding their bodies. Those two back there were one Nightmare, but I reverted them, split their soul in half, and put it in two separate, obedient bodies" Hope smirked, stopping his assault on the barrier for a moment and catching his breath.

"What about the final power then?" I asked him, curious but now _very_ wary; I could understand why he was so feared by Cyrus.

Hope shrugged. "The last hope, the Hope for Change, gives me the ability to alter and manipulate spells I see cast, at the cost of the same amount of magical energy as it took to cast the spell originally" he explained. "This gives me more advantageous situations, and is what makes that brunette so fearful of my power, since his spells are always so visible to me, _and_ it was why he had you attack whilst he cast, to distract me" Hope added. "But I think lecture time is over now" he grinned, raising his hands forward, palms pressed against the barrier. "Now you get to see my powers all out" he grinned, a faint glow covering his hands. The runes in front of him suddenly changed and the entire barrier collapsed, quickly followed by Cyrus, who had wasted his energy maintaining it.

"Damn it…" he cursed, falling to one knee. I shook my head.

"Don't be annoyed, but now that I see his dangerous powers I know what to do" I said to the Script mage.

Cyrus looked up at me, the rainbow array of colours in his eyes gone with his strength. "Do it quickly, or else we'll have to keep Natsu down _and_ fight Hope" he said to me. I nodded, not sparing a glance back to Natsu this time, I couldn't afford the distraction.

"How do you intend to defeat me if you can't even _injure_ me?" Hope inquired, amused by my show of bravado.

I gave him a cocky smile. "I'd like to see you recover from _this_ " I said, rising my arms out in front of me in a challenging stance. "Ice Devil's Rage!" I roared, a stream of purple Devil Ice shooting outwards, slamming into Hope at full force. I heard Hope laugh as it impacted into him, forcing the tiny boy back a few steps before he threw his arms wide. The ice diverted its path, moving around him and slamming into the building behind, Blake's housing, both crushing the wall and freezing it. Cyrus smirked.

"Blake's not going to be happy about that…" he mused. I didn't have time to worry about that now, I was too busy readying another attack.

"Ice Make; Ice Cannon" I called out, forming a long tube-cannon in my hands. I fired off several cannon balls towards Hope, however he swiped an arm in front of him as he advanced, the balls all veering off course by a gust of wind. "Not good enough Gray" he stated, standing three paces away from me and the weakened Cyrus. I flicked my wrist, Ice Devil magic loaded into the movement, freezing a path straight towards Hope with my Instantaneous Freeze. Hope shook his head, smirking. In a blur of movement, he dodged to the left, sending flames to counter it and burn me. I tried to move but found myself moving so slowly, as if I had been frozen in time. _His time power?!_ I thought suddenly. Hope nodded at me, clearly predicting my thoughts as the flames crashed into me. I only had time to summon up a little Ice magic to protect my body from burns, although it still hurt like hell as I was sent sprawling to the floor. "I said I can manipulate a person's sense of time. I slowed your perspective relevant to my own, meaning even moving regularly I appeared to move at high speed, whilst you move too slowly to avoid my attack" Hope explained, taking another step forward. Cyrus leapt up at him, a glowing symbol in his palm, but Hope knocked him out of the way. "Pathetic" he said, his leg shooting out and tripping Cyrus over despite the difference in their size. Cyrus hit the floor with a heavy thud. I got up, standing firm, however Hope send another wave of flame at me. This time I created another Ice Shield and blocked the attack. "Yours are still weaker than Natsu's" I said. Hope shrugged, and then leapt up as Cyrus tried to hit him with a small twister of green Script magic. The spell missed, but Hope was forced further away from Natsu again, with me and Cyrus, each only barely able to stand at this point, standing between the Nightmare and the Dragon Slayer. "We won't let you get Natsu" Cyrus said. Hope laughed.

"Why don't you let him decide that?" he said, gesturing to the pinkette in the icy prison. My eyes followed his gesture whilst Cyrus continued focusing on Hope. Sure enough Natsu was stirring, his eyes fluttering open after a few moments. I unconsciously held my breath, fearing how he'd react. "It looks like the party can really begin, now that the Fire Dragon's here" Hope said in an amused tone. Natsu's eyes shot wide as he took in his position in the ice, he flicked his gaze to me. "Hey, let me out!" he shouted immediately. I sighed, he really was going through with the insults. "Let me out of here Gray" he stated.

Cyrus didn't look over, but spoke up all the same. "It's for your own good Natsu, stay inside" he said. Natsu gave Cyrus an angry look.

"Shut up!" he barked, "Let me out of here so I can punch him Gray, he fucking drugged me!" he added a moment later. I shook my head at Natsu, had he not notice that the place was in ruins and there was a young boy standing there looking shocked?

Hope coughed, gaining everyone's, including Natsu's, attention. "Erm… as amusing as this is, _I'm_ the one you're supposed to be fighting, not each other" he stated, earning a growl from Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer sniffed the air, his expression told me immediately that he'd worked out who, or at least _what_ , Hope was. Then Natsu laughed, which caught me off guard.

"You want me to fight a child?" Natsu said amusingly. Cyrus suddenly gave a worried expression, and I noticed Hope's usually smirking or grinning face turn sour. _Oh shit… ten seconds from waking up and he's already managed to piss him off…_

Hope went to retort something, however a sudden explosion of blue energy shook the ground beneath his person and sent him flying backwards, slamming into the building opposite our own at great force. I realised that Cyrus had written two spells on his hands; one in a golden colour which he had tried to hit Hope directly with, and another in blue and indigo on his other hand that must have been to cause such an explosion. As the young boy tried to get up, I took the opportunity to strike him. "Ice Make; Hammer" I commanded, sending a giant hammer soaring down at the Nightmare. Hope put his arm above him, a faint glow on his hand, making the hammer shrink down until it was no larger than a pencil. _Damn!_ I cursed.

I was about to launch another attack when a new voice sounded out. "Well well, if it isn't Hope" it said. I looked for the source of the sound and found it immediately; Walter was standing in between two piles of rubble, a grey suit on with yellow, lightning bolt patterned, gloves. Hope smirked at him. "Well well, if it isn't the man who _never_ acts his age" Hope replied sarcastically.

"Like your one to talk about acting your age. Last I checked, children don't go killing people and destroying buildings" Walter said back, face still showing amusement.

Hope grinned. "I suppose you have a point but…" he turned to me, "I also have my own things to be doing right now" he then leapt forward, however I conjured an Ice Sword to stab him. Hope dodged the blade and in a blur of motion I felt a sudden pain along my abdomen. Walter appeared suddenly beside me, using Swift magic to catch me as I fell down in a slumped position; Hope retreating a safe distance as the hidden blade he had in his sleeve left a large gash along my front. "Huh, my magic attacks never worked but a simple blade did… amusing…" the boy said. I heard his voice, however it seemed faint now, all I could really focus on was the warm feeling of blood rushing down my stomach, Walter holding me as I fell down. Then there was that almighty noise, a roar that reverberated around the whole cove. Natsu arrived in a blast of flame that destroyed my Ice Cocoon, leaping down to my side straight away. I smiled up at him as I felt myself start to drift into unconsciousness. "Gray…" he said, voice hollow with rage and fear.

"Hey Natsu… don't do anything stupid…" I said to him, noting the feeling of his hand holding mine. "Don't do anything… don't get yourself…" I didn't finish as blackness took me. The last voice I heard was Natsu screaming for me to get up. _Natsu…_

 _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…_

Then there was darkness.

 **Chapter 23 End**

 **Next Chapter; Divine Intervention**


	24. Chapter 24 - Divine Intervention

**Chapter 24 – Divine Intervention**

 **Natsu POV**

Gray lay before me, eyes glassy as he bled from the cut wound to his abdomen. I knew that my eyes would be full of anger and rage, however my chest was twisted with other emotions. Walter continued to support Gray, a supporting arm around his shoulders. Walter looked at me momentarily, before looking to Cyrus. He nodded to the brunette, who smirked at Hope. In a flash of light runes formed around the Nightmare, restraining him. He gave a slight look of surprise, but nothing else, trying to push against the barrier. Cyrus' face showed the strain of maintaining such a barrier, however I didn't look too closely at him; all my attention was on Gray.

The Ice mage had whispered nonsense phrases before passing out, telling me not be stupid. I had screamed in frustration, however now I sat in quiet, brooding silence. I was broken from it by Walter's other arm on my shoulder. "Help me with him. I'm going to take him out of the way" he said to me. I nodded, only really half paying attention. We each took hold of one of Gray's arms by the shoulder, lifting him up and carrying him off behind the building next door. Although it's front was partially destroyed, I guessed by Gray's magic, judging from the cracks in the stone, the back was completely unharmed. Walter and I lay Gray's unconscious form against the wall, me kneeling beside it.

Walter took a deep breath, as I continued staring at Gray's face. _Why did he have to get injured?_ I thought, blaming myself for this because of all the distractions I caused him when I first awoke. _I should have helped him fight, not argued with him…_

"Natsu…" the Requip mage said carefully, obviously aware of my rage. I looked up at him calmly, reassuring him that I wasn't going to explode. At least not right that minute. "I can heal Gray, but I need you to do something you wouldn't normally" he said. I cocked my head, listening intently now.

"What do I need to do?" I asked him, hope in my tone.

Walter smiled. "Don't go charging in against Hope. He is powerful and _will_ kill you if you do that, then Gray will have fought for nothing" he stated. I looked down at Gray before looking up at Walter again.

"But… he hurt Gray…" I said, trying desperately to remain calm. Walter nodded understandingly.

"I know, but please… listen… I've got a plan to fight him, and I want you to remain hidden. When I call for your assistance please stay hidden, but start throwing fireballs near or at Hope. You can tell where he is by smell, right?" I nodded. "Good" Walter stated, "Now… step back and I'll heal Gray" he added, a flash of Requip magic overtaking his body for a second. Once it passed he stood, wearing a longer white coat, with a plain white shirt and black trousers. Over each hand he wore a white glove with myriad blue symbols all over them, the same outfit he had used to help heal Blake when he had been attacked during the guild meeting. "The Apothecaries Master" he stated, noting my remembering look. Holding his gloved hands over Gray's body he activated his magic, a faint aquamarine light flowing forth from his fingertips. It flowed over the wound, tendrils of light touching the spots of blood and herding them back towards the slashed opening. Next the light flowed actually _into_ Gray's wound, before it began closing up; I would have been jealous that another mage, another _man_ , had put magic into Gray's body had I not been both fascinated and relieved to see the wound closing up. After a long moment the light retracted, only a faint mark left of where Hope had attacked. "Wow…" I breathed, both a sigh of relief and a breathless show of awe. Walter smirked at me.

"There, your boyfriends gonna be alright. He won't wake up for a while yet, I think, but I've closed the wound and _should_ have stopped the bleeding. I'd get Wendy to check him over later, but he'll live for now" Walter explained. I nodded, moving close to Gray to hear his heartbeat; slow and steady the rhythm, a sound of slumber. Hearing that I pulled away, aware of Walter's slight panting; clearly it had taken a chunk out of his magic energy reserves and he hadn't even begun to fight Hope yet. "Thank you" I said to him, a little happier now. Walter nodded his head.

"Yeah… now you remember what I said?" he stated. I pouted, but nodded. _I'll have to do what he says now, since he did agree to heal Gray_ I thought. Walter smirked, watching as I slipped an arm around Gray and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. "Right, so with that…" he did an about face turn on his heel, "I'm off".

I wished him good luck as I discretely watched him walk over to where Cyrus, who himself looked near to collapsing, was trying to hold Hope at bay. "Hello Hope, nasty wound you gave Gray there" Walter said to the boy. Hope shrugged before folding his arms.

"Oh well… he got in my way. Is pinkie too grief stricken from the loss of his boyfriend to come out and play?" Hope asked, a jovial tune to his voice that made me want to punch him so badly, however I refrained. Walter grinned, running a hand through his tousled, somewhat spikey hair, making the blond tips stand on end.

"Oh, I'll play with you. I think it's time I brought out the big guns and fought you properly" he stated, venom in his voice that mixed eerily with the happy-go-lucky façade he wore. A light enveloped him momentarily, and when he stepped out he wore a great, prestigious-looking suit. "This is one of my most powerful armors. You look upon the Divine Garment; Astraeus, the Star Lord" Walter declared.

The suit he wore was a deep, dark blue, with darker, blue-black lapels. He had a deep, matching blue-black shirt and trousers, as well as a bright, shiny, gold waistcoat and cravat tie. The shirt and trousers both had tiny lacrima threaded into them, small but bright Star lacrima, that made it appear as if the suit really was made from the night sky itself. Over each hand, Walter wore a metal gauntlet, of some mysterious deep blue metal. It had golden cuffs embedded with silver stars, and golden finger tips. In each of his shirt collars he had a tiny lacrima pin in the shape of a star, as well as cufflinks in the same design. My eye was drawn to the short sword held in his right hand; made of the same deep blue metal as the gloves, but with a golden stream in the center, the handle covered with star designs. From the sudden pressure in the air I knew this was a force to be reckoned with, and for once I realised just how powerful Walter was; he really could be a God in this Divine Garment.

And it frightened even me.

/

 **General POV**

Jura and Lyon, the two mages of Lamia Scale stood off against the Nightmares. Being left to deal with them by Walter, they were the only people not currently injured. "Guess we have to fight them then" Sanity stated to his brother.

"Hmm… Hope's not going to be happy we let Walter pass" Madness said.

"Never mind that now, we must deal with these mages swiftly, they are stronger than the others" Sanity stated. Madness nodded and the two moved up to stand off against the Ice mage and the Wizard Saint. Before the battle could begin, however, a voice sounded out. "Wait!" Erza barked, drawing the attention of the four combatants.

"You wish us to kill you before we fight them?" Madness inquired into the reason for the interruption. Erza shook her head and Blake stood, using his magic he surrounded the Nightmares with his vapor wall and gestured for Lyon and Jura to come over to the others. Once they arrived Blake wrote quickly into the air.

ALLOW THE OTHERS TO FIGHT FIRST. YOU NEED TO SEE THEIR POWERS AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO BEAT THEM.

He wrote. Jura read the words, looking to the state of the other mages. "But you have all already fought… are you sure you'll be alright to continue against those two Nightmares?" he asked. Sting and Rogue gave confident smiles whilst Erza nodded. Lucy tried her best to look confident too, as a light shone next to her. "I'll be here to help, sorry it took so long Lucy" Loke said, appearing. Lucy smiled at him.

"Actually, you're just in time" she replied. He readied his fist, looking in at the trapped Nightmares.

Lyon smiled at their optimism. "I suppose I should expect nothing less from Fairy Tail… or from Sabertooth either" he commented, "And it would be helpful to know their abilities in full" he added, looking up at his taller companion. Jura nodded.

"I suppose that is true" he answered. Sting grinned as he and Rogue stepped forward.

"Since they chose their opponents last time it's only fair we do it this time" Sting stated. Erza came up beside them, nodding in agreement. "Yes, Lucy and I will take on Sanity, you two deal with Madness" she stated. They nodded and the Nightmares looked at the pairings angrily.

"But we haven't agreed to this" Sanity stated.

YOU'LL HAVE NO CHOICE.

Blake wrote to them, quickly using his power to separate the Nightmares and the four mages from himself and the two Lamia Scale members. Now forced into combat against opponents the guild mages chose the Nightmares were at a disadvantage, but they were nowhere near beaten yet.

/

Madness faced off against the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, an odd expression on his face; wariness. "It doesn't really matter who faces me, ultimately it will all end the same. With my victory" he stated, despite his grimmer expression he still held his confidence. Sting smirked.

"Last time you got to choose opponents you knew you'd succeed against, however now we know the trick to your little disappearing act" Sting retorted.

"The ink on your clothes will make you a much easier target now too" Rogue piled on. Madness glared at the pair, almost feral in his actions. He looked as though he was about to retort something, then decided to shrug instead. "You would never be able to beat me in hand to hand combat, your just Dragon Slayers who got too big for their boots" Madness stated. Sting smirked wider, more wickedly, at hearing this.

"Who said we were going to fight hand to hand?" Sting said, before opening his mouth wide, Rogue copying his actions. In a flash of white and black two Dragon Roars burst forth, the timing of their attacks impeccable. Madness raised an eyebrow of surprise as he dodged to the side, avoiding the attack completely. As he used the momentum of the move to get near to Rogue, the Shadow Dragon disappeared into a shadow before the Nightmare came within striking distance. Madness stopped momentarily, surprised by the move; a deadly mistake. Rogue appeared behind him, firing shadows at him that sent him staggering. Before he could recover Sting charged forward, white light covering his fist. The punch connected with Madness' solar plexus, a white stigma being left where the attack had landed. The two Dragon Slayers withdrew a safe distance, still close enough to attack, but far enough that they could dodge or block any counterstrikes.

"Heh, you don't have the powers Sanity does, so I don't think you'll be able to move for a while now that my White Dragon Claw landed on you" Sting stated self-confidently. Madness laughed a little, the pain from being punched already faded, and the restrictive powers of the stigma only partially affected him, although Sting was right in that he couldn't remove it. He leapt forward, a little more sluggishly than usual, trying to strike at the pair when they were busy gloating, however they easily moved out of the way, coming together where the Nightmare had stood at the beginning of his fight. "Should we do it now Sting?" Rogue asked. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, let's make this quick, then Lyon and Jura can focus more of their power on dealing with hope" the Guildmaster concurred. They got into a battle stance, the Nightmare now completely wary of their next move. They each charged their magic into a large sphere behind them, growling and shouting in the process. As their power built and built the spheres of shadow and light merged, suddenly shrinking and merging into one intense ball of magical power. As the ball grew the shadows and light merged, exploding outwards. "Unison Raid…" Sting called out from in amongst the magical power.

"Holy Shadow Dragon…" Rogue added.

"FLASH FANG!" they both roared together. The attack was launched forwards, surging at Madness in an unavoidable wave of power. "Impossible?!" the Nightmare cried out as he was carried backwards by the attack. It was not as powerful as their one against Mard Geer, however it still decimated the dining hall, as well as most of the surrounding area, only the parts protected by Blake's defense survived intact.

Blake gave the two an annoyed look, believing their attack to be overkill, however, like the two mages standing beside him, he was immensely impressed by the attack; not only was it destructive, but they managed to use it without affecting Lucy, Erza or Sanity, and so had not harmed their allies either. The defeated form of Madness stayed down on the ground, sprawled over some rubble left over from the now destroyed dining hall building. With the conclusion of their battle the Twin Dragons, gave relieved sighs and moved nearer to Blake and the others as they observed the remainder of Lucy and Erza's fight.

/

Erza and Lucy, alongside Loke, stood off against the Nightmare of Sanity. Erza had requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, and now stood glaring at the young man with a myriad of swords dancing about the air above her, their blades pointed towards him. The standoff only lasted a minute or so, neither party saying anything. As soon as the sounds of battle could be heard between Madness and his opponents they decided to start their fight too. "Heaven's Wheel" Erza commanded, sending a couple of swords slicing through the air towards Sanity. The Nightmare grinned, swiping his arm in front of him as a haze formed over his hand. After a moment the pair of swords shattered, shards flying in different directions. "Is that all you got?" Sanity mocked Erza, who stood a little surprised as her swords had been so easily destroyed.

She decided to try again with more blades. "Those were only two, I have many more" she said defiantly. Lucy held up a key. "Here, let me help" she said, summoning Sagittarius once more. The archer notched some arrows, letting a volley of them fly as Erza sent six swords towards Sanity. The Nightmare smirked, waving his arm in front of him again. Once more the swords all shattered, however the arrows continued on their trajectory. Unfazed, Sanity outstretched his other had to his left, a shimmer forming in an area a slight distance away. After another moment all of the arrows were sucked away, towards the area he had gestured to. Sagittarius seemed surprised, as did Erza. Smiling confidently, Sanity failed to realise that Loke was now behind him, the Celestial spirit grinning. He sent a forceful punch into Sanity's back, making the Nightmare gasp in a mixture of winded breathlessness, and surprise. Before he could recover, however, Loke charged up magic into his hands, sending a golden lion forth to strike the Nightmare. "Regulus Impact" he called as the attack was launched, returning triumphantly to Lucy and Erza's side as the Nightmare was sent crashing to the ground by the force of the attack.

Despite the damage the Nightmare got up, a disdainful expression on his face. "It'll take more than that to defeat me" he stated, brushing himself off. Instead of acting surprised, as Sanity had thought they would, the wizards prepared for another attack. Erza once more sent the remainder of her swords towards him, which he shattered much like last time. Whilst he was busy doing that Sagittarius sent several more volleys of arrows at him, which he avoided by gesturing above him, making the arrows change course and miss him once more. As Loke moved in for another attack, however, Sanity was prepared, dodging the expertly sent fist. He was not quick enough to avoid the sword attack to his leg, sent by Erza, who had charged towards him at the same time as Loke had. Managing to cut his leg he howled angrily, leaping back and sending explosions all around himself to force the two fighters back.

As he stood with the new wound to his leg, Sanity glared angrily at the group. "How dare you cut me!" he barked. Erza narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke.

"It seems your power can't destroy all my swords" she commented. Loke nodded.

"And despite his ability to nullify Sting's light, he couldn't stop my Regulus" he added. Erza looked to the spirit, before returning her attention to the Nightmare. "Your power allows you to manipulate magical balance in an area, allowing you to disrupt it and cause those explosions. At the same time, it also can be used to draw things in, like those arrows, which I'm guessing were too small to shatter as easily as my swords" Erza analysed, "Additionally you can't manipulate magic connected to, or inside living things. That was why you didn't shatter the sword I was holding, or stop Loke's Regulus Impact" she added. Sanity continued glaring for a moment, before nodding dejectedly.

"Hmph… seems you are as skilled as you are clever, Erza Scarlet" he stated, "Indeed, I cannot manipulate magic connected to, or inside living creatures. That is why I couldn't simply shatter the Celestial spirits and their keys either" he confessed, before turning his attention to the area where his brother now lay. It had not escaped his notice the size of the attack Sting and Rogue had used, and even he had to admit the amount of devastation was worrying. "Come on brother, get up" Sanity said. Madness raised his head and looked at his brother, not moving from the ground. "It seems you faired about as well as I did" Sanity continued, "However… I think it's time to bring out our _ultimate_ abilities".

Madness sighed and got up. "I suppose you're right there, just don't complain about my actions afterwards. Desperate times and all…" he stated. Sanity nodded and the two Nightmares moved to stand together, in the face of both the Dragon Slayers and the Fairy Tail wizards.

Sanity began glowing, a shimmer taking over his entire form. "I'll use my Final Ascension" he stated, before shadows overtook his right arm, golden light overtaking his left.

Madness grinned evilly. "Now you'll get it… Primal Regression" he stated, an aura forming over his body as he crouched down on the ground. The sudden change to their forms was obvious by the intense pressure that filled the air; a strong sense of foreboding overtook all the wizards present; these Nightmares were becoming something truly powerful.

And there was nothing they could do to stop it.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I moved Gray closer to the edge of the building so I could secretly observe the fight between Walter and Hope, waiting for the signal Walter mentioned, whilst also making sure Gray was safe. The Requip mage stood off against the Nightmare in his new suit; the Divine Garment as he called it. Hope didn't look impressed, or even intimidated, which shocked me greatly. Although I had not seen much of his powers, he was clearly powerful, but surely even a powerful mage would be afraid of this new development.

After a moment facing off, Hope took one step forward. "That new suit doesn't impress me, Prime" he stated, reverting back to using the Triplet Codes supposed 'real' names.

Walter shrugged. "Wasn't meant to, but if you really want to be impressed, try this" he smirked smugly, outstretching an arm towards Hope, hand flat with his fingertips all aimed towards the boy. "Star Stream" he commanded. Suddenly a great beam off golden light and flickering silver flames burst from the gauntlet, devouring the distance between the mage and the Nightmare. Hope held out his arms, hands flat. The attack struck the Nightmare, however he diverted a lot of the flaming light behind him; it melted through piles of rubble, igniting the grass. Walter deactivated the spell before it could hit the forest. "Hmm… you're just as annoying as ever. I didn't think you'd be able to control my spell so easily, or so quickly" he commented, earning a head shake from Hope.

"You underestimate me. Although I have not seen a spell such as that before, I was certain that suit was empowered with Heavenly Body and Fire magic, so I prepared for an attack using those magics, and it seems I was correct" the boy replied. I noticed that the skin on his palms was blistered slightly, probably from the heat, however they quickly healed as if nothing had happened.

"Well, you are correct in this suits abilities I suppose…" Walter replied honestly. Cyrus had retreated a safe distance back, obviously trying to place himself between the area where me and Gray were and the area where Hope and Walter were facing off. "Yes, this suit is empowered with the magical abilities you suspected, and as such I can _somewhat_ use those powers for myself" Walter continued. Hope nodded, but before he said something else both he and Walter looked over in the direction of the dining hall. I was already aware that was where the others were fighting, and the large eruption of magical attacks had not escaped my notice, however for the last few minutes it had been strangely quiet. _What's going on_? I thought suspiciously. Walter seemed to go through the same thought process as he jerked his head back to the young boy quickly.

"Where did those two presences come from? They're as evil and malicious as you, just not as powerful" Walter asked the boy. Hope smirked.

"Good, it looks like they've awakened then" he commented, not really answering Walters question.

"What's awakened?" Walter asked, a little anger edging into his voice now. Hope shrugged.

"No idea" he so obviously lied. Walter raised both of his hands, this time with them balled into fists. "Tell me, or I hit you full force, no messing around" the Requip mage said sternly. Hope shrugged again and shook his head, holding up his hands in a mock boxing pose.

"Like I'd tell… you'll have to beat me if you want to know" the boy stated defiantly.

"Tch…" Walter tutted, before orbs of golden light enveloped both of his hands. "Fine then, Meteor Rain" he stated, the orbs being thrown off of his hands and expanding rapidly as they converged on Hope. The boy dodged sideways, leaping away as the spheres imploded in a wicked display of crimson, white, and golden flames. I sniffed the air; Walter was right, _something_ evil was definitely nearby.

 _I hope everyone's okay_ I thought, looking down towards Gray again, "Come on Gray, I need you here… you always reassure me" I whispered, before returning to watching Walter for his signal.

 _He will reassure me…_

/

 **General POV**

Madness and Sanity stood, their power growing very quickly. "What is this?" Rogue inquired, gaining no response from anyone.

"It's impossible" Lucy stated, "They're changing, I can feel them becoming more powerful" she added. After a moment the change stopped; Sanity's body became enveloped half in a shroud of absolute shadow, the other half wreathed completely in light, not a shred of his form was visible except from his face. Madness stood on all fours, chattering his teeth, his eyes had taken on a glassy, unintelligent appearance. "You now stand before us in our most powerful states" Sanity's voice sounded out, more booming and menacing. "My brother and I are far more powerful, with significantly greater powers. You can't defeat us now" he added.

"We'll see about that" Sting barked back, taking up a fighting stance. Rogue did the same, however Lucy and Erza stood still. Loke watched the Nightmares carefully, in all his time as a spirit not once had he seen something like this. Madness chattered out a primal howl, before vanishing. "Hah, we can still see you" Sting stated, before Rogue tapped his arm.

"No we can't, he seems to have vanished completely like before" Rogue stated, "Perhaps his new powers allow for even stains and things to be hidden from us".

The two Dragon Slayers stood back to back, fully aware of the new danger this changed Madness posed. Suddenly the Nightmare reappeared, leaping from somewhere beside Sting. "He's fast" was all Sting had time to say before Madness crashed into them, throwing them both to the ground. "They're gone!" Lucy gasped in surprise.

"I think… he's made them invisible" Erza stated, watching Sanity carefully. After a moment Madness, and Sting, reappeared as Sting was thrown, significantly more battered than before, down to the ground in triumph. After a moment Rogue reappeared too, equally as beaten as Sting. "We never stood a chance, he vanished and…" Sting breathed out, slumped over on the ground. Madness let out a howling cheer before returning to Sanity's side. Now that Erza looked at him more carefully she noted the cat-like eyes, and the sharper, fang-like teeth he now had. His hair was much wilder, even mane-like, and there was no humanity in the sounds he made; he truly became an animal. Sanity continued smirking at the remaining two wizards. "My brother's Primal Regression; it increases his physical strength and speed enormously, as well as his Camouflage ability, although at great cost to his 'humanity'" the Nightmare explained. Madness looked at the two hungrily, wondering if they were now its prey.

Erza stood defiantly. "I've seen wizards give up their humanity for power before" she stated, images of Racer appearing in her mind, "It's despicable. You will not defeat us using such a cowardly act" she raised her sword. Loke stood forward, light enveloped his hands as Sagittarius loaded an arrow into his bow. After a tense second, the group attacked, arrows flying, whilst Erza and Loke charged to get in close. Sanity tutted as Madness darted forward, striking the pair before they could even react. Lucy looked up towards Sanity, who didn't move, didn't act in any way as Sagittarius' arrows flew at him. Around one inch away from his body the arrows suddenly shattered, being shredded into barely even splinters before they could reach their target. "Got any more?" Sanity ask her, amused by the attack. She went to lift another key from her belt, however Madness was there again, landing a powerful kick to her back, sending her down.

The group of defeated mages looked up angrily at the pair; they truly were monsters in this form, monsters that had defeated them with hardly any effort whatsoever.

"Damn it" Sting cursed from his beaten position on the ground.

After a moment of gloating over their easy win the Nightmares turned their attention to Blake, Jura and Lyon. "You're next" Sanity said. Jura and Lyon looked to Blake, who nodded grimly, before he parted the defensive barrier and allowed them to pass out into the battle field.

"You really are monsters" Jura stated, standing boldly against the two.

Lyon nodded. "They were already beat up to begin with, humiliating them like that was not required" he agreed, "And I agree with Erza; selling your humanity for power really is despicable" he added. Jura smirked acceptingly at that comment.

"I'll take on Sanity, you deal with that animal" he said to Lyon, who nodded.

"Fine, then I can go and find Gray and give him an earful about all the trouble his guildmates caused me" Lyon replied, readying himself for combat. The Nightmare stood unfazed by the wizards show of confidence; regardless of what they said, the Nightmares would always be confident that their 'ultimate' abilities would win them any fight. And up until then that had been true, no one save the Triplet Code had defeated the Nightmare of Conscious.

/

Jura stood eyeing the 'ascended' Nightmare of Sanity carefully. "It seems you've fused your body with raw magical energy," the older wizard said, voice critical, "Whilst your new magical body seems to affect the area around you… the cloud of energy it causes around you destroys everything that comes into contact with it. That was what stopped the arrows" he concluded. Sanity smirked.

"You've got a good eye there, but I suppose I should expect nothing less from a Wizard Saint" the Nightmare remarked. Jura continued stroking his beard.

"I also notice that your face is still visible however…" he added, wondering if Sanity would respond to this. The Nightmare did, by scowling viciously.

"Hmm… it seems that you _don't_ know the extent of my powers however" the transformed man said.

Jura smiled knowingly, having gotten a response he now knew exactly how to act. "Then it seems we need not talk any longer" the Wizard Saint stated. Sanity nodded, as Jura assumed a casual, but wary, fighting stance. "Iron Rock Fist" he commanded with an outstreatched hand pointed towards Sanity. A pillar of earth, the front in the shape of a fist, shot forward from the ground in front of Jura, attempting to strike Sanity. The Nightmare gave an amused look, before swiping his hand in the air in front of his person, the rock attack shattering uselessly. Jura remained impassive, conjuring up another few stone walls to move forward like tendrils and strike at the Nightmare. Once more Sanity swiped his hand and shattered them all, however one expertly controlled one snake past the others and struck Sanity's side. Sanity's eyes flicked in the direction of the concealed rock pillar, however, much like the arrows from before, it was shredded an inch before striking the Nightmare. "So your defensive shroud is strong enough even to break my Iron Rock spells" Jura commented. Sanity chuckled lowly.

"Of course. In this form I warp the very balance of nature itself around my person. The displaced energy in the air around me will shred anything to pieces much before they can actually reach my body" Sanity explained, "Your Earth magic is not great enough to beat me, even with your Wizard Saint title" he added, boasting a little.

Jura remained completely calm despite Sanity's comments, carefully analyzing everything he had just seen up to this point, working out everything he could about his strange opponent's powers. After a moment he realised something, moving his head to look Sanity straight in the eye. "Hmm… it appears that there is a small delay between the swipe of your hand and the actual imbalance you cause" he said, observing Sanity for signs of deceit. Sanity kept his demeanor neutral, mock yawning at Jura. The wizard was not deterred, deciding to test his theory to be absolutely sure. "Iron Rock Blades" he commanded, summoning forth pointed rock tendrils, which exploded forwards at high speed. Sanity laughed and with a swipe of his hand they all exploded to powder. "Is that really the best you could do?" he mocked Jura, who stood still, now confident in his knowledge. After a moment the Nightmare began to grow irritable, Jura noticed this and decided that now was the best time to attack. He placed his hand to the ground and used his Earth magic to cause a great fissure to open in front of him. Sanity wobbled on the edge of the precipice, however he smirked, waving his hand in a trail that traced the fissure back. After a moment the ground sucked itself closed once more, Jura only a showing mild surprise at the feat. "You can control the earth?" Jura questioned. Sanity shook his head.

"Incorrect. I control only the magical balance in an area. As with all things you could say magic energy also seems to have a sort of positive and negative sense. If I disrupt the balance and alter an area to have more negative, an explosion occurs, as you have seen; however, if I alter it to have a greater amount of positive it causes a Sink, a part of space that sucks things in" Sanity explained. Jura nodded in understanding.

"So you created a 'sink' across the fissure to suck it back together again" he commented, earning a nod from Sanity. "It seems I did underestimate you" he added humbly.

Sanity bowed mockingly. "Yes you did" he replied, "But regardless I think I grow bored of this fight now, let us end this" he held his arms out in front of him. Jura sighed; he knew the Nightmare would eventually do something like this, however he didn't want to go 'all out' because he didn't want to destroy the tranquility of the beach cove. "Fine, let us begin" Jura said. Sanity smirked. "I have already" he replied, a shimmer forming in a vast area in front of him. Jura's eye s shot wide as he realised that the Nightmare had already began to create explosions all around him; he had no escape. In a quick, fluid motion, Jura slammed his fist into the ground. "Iron Rock Wall" he commanded, summoning a thick stone barrier around himself. The explosions tore through the area, however Jura's barrier stayed strong. As the explosions passed Jura emerged from the barrier, Sanity tapping his foot annoyingly. "It seems it'll take more than that" he stated as Jura reemerged. Jura nodded and smirked slightly, allowing his magic to flow around him, ready for another attack. Sanity wasted no time, flicking his hand outwards in front of him. After a moment a positive Sink formed and Jura felt himself being sucked in. Sanity then made the area around the Sink shimmer as he displaced the magic there, however Jura avoided the combined attack by raising himself up on a pillar of stone. Looking up high, Sanity frowned. "Coward, you can't escape me" he called up to Jura, before using his displacement powers to shatter the pillars base. As the rocks of the pillar fell, Jura caught himself on another pillar of stone, making Sanity frown even more. "Hmph…" the Nightmare sulked. Each side waited a moment, thinking of a way to beat the other, all the while the rocks from the destroyed pillar thudded as they hit the ground. Jura noticed the stones, and smiled, an idea forming in his mind. Using his powers, he broke the pillar he was standing on, the rocks falling down close to Sanity. "You can't crush me with those" the Nightmare stated, using his powers to break a few that fell too near to him. As Jura landed he immediately used his magic again, this time summoning a large rock wall between him and his opponent. Sanity laughed at the act, "That will not protect you from my abilities" he stated, swiping his hand in the air.

After a moment the entire wall collapsed, however as it fell Sanity could no longer see the Wizard Saint. "What?" Sanity exclaimed, rotating on the spot, "Where did he go?" Spinning wildly Sanity anticipated an attack from Jura. As he turned to face the forest, thinking he had run into it whilst the wall acted as a cover, a boulder exploded, Jura coming out of it at high speed. Sanity tried to use his powers and create a Sink to divert the wizard, however he was too slow and Jura's fist slammed into his face. "Damn!" he cursed as he was sent flying backwards from the impact, no more shadows and light surrounding his body. Jura stood over the crumpled form of Sanity, before conjuring up tendrils of stone to cover all but the Nightmare's face. "How did you know?" Sanity asked weakly, staring up at the wizard from his defeated position. Jura smiled confidently.

"You face was the only thing that didn't change, so I figured it must have been your weak spot" he stated, "Also, you never moved from the spot you were standing, so I figured that the energy form you took must have some tether to the physical world. It was the logical assumption" he added. Sanity smiled humbly, oddly accepting of this result.

"I would expect nothing less from a wizard of your caliber" he remarked, "Yes my 'ultimate' ability does root me in place, and it also must have a tether to the physical world, otherwise I'd just fade away to nothing. It is the one weakness and you found it" he admitted.

Jura nodded, looking over to where Lyon was fighting Madness. "The stone I've encased you in will stop you using magic, you're trapped in there" he stated to Sanity. Sanity tried to shrug, a limited movement due to his position.

"I won't try to escape, I was defeated fair and square" he stated, "Let us observe my brother and see if he comes to the same humble defeat I did" he added, watching as Lyon fought Madness, the Nightmare fading in and out of the air. Although they were opponents, Sanity felt content with this outcome, however he knew his brother my not act in the same way.

/

As Jura faced Sanity, Lyon stood off against Madness, the animalistic Nightmare chattering wildly. "How can you sell your humanity for power?" Lyon asked the Nightmare, getting no response, save the baring of the creatures now fang-like teeth. "Not going to talk then" Lyon said, "Or can't you talk" he added, earning a snarl from Madness. "No matter, I came to fight you, not talk to you" the Ice mage stated, assuming the stances his master had drilled into him as a child. Madness growled, baring his teeth as he vanished, not even the ink stains showing. "Damn, he vanished" Lyon cursed, as the Nightmare silently kept hidden, slowly moving into positon to strike him.

After a tense moment Madness revealed himself, leaping forwards from a place to Lyon's right. In a flash of magic power and frosty air Lyon deflected the attack. "Ice Make; Snow Tiger" he commanded, an icy tiger forming that crashed down on Madness' position. The Nightmare darted sideways, avoid the creatures attack before shattering it with one blow and then disappearing again. Lyon waited carefully, preparing another attack. Madness revealed himself for a moment, "Ice Make; Eagle" he commanded, sending out icy winged creatures to strike at the Nightmare, however he vanished again and the attack missed. "Damn it, where is he…" Lyon tried to keep a cool head. "He's faster, and stronger than before. That, combined with his animal-like mindset, he won't be put off by pain, or danger. He really is a monster" he analysed aloud. Distracted trying to think of a plan, Lyon was unprepared for Madness' next assault, the Nightmare leaping at him, only appearing whilst he was airborne. In a blur of movement, he grabbed Lyon's shirt and held him close. Lyon heard the onlooking group of mages mutter something, Lucy gasping. _Oh right, he makes other things invisible_ Lyon thought as Madness sent a punch to his ribs, before tossing him into a pile of rubble, right before he was thrown Lyon noted the stains still present on Madness' clothes, his mind racing through possibilities of ways his power could be beaten. His thoughts only ceased as he gasped breathlessly at the impact of hitting the stones, judging from the glances directed at him he was visible again. Getting up Lyon had a flash of memory; an image from the Grand Magic Games two years ago, from the fight between Eve Tearm of Blue Pegasus, and Rufus Lore of Sabertooth. "I know how to find him…" Lyon muttered.

Before he could fully stand up Madness jumped forwards, slamming a fist into Lyon's side, sending him sprawling sideways due to the force of the attack. He aimed for another strike, however Lyon was more prepared the second time, "Ice Make; Shield" he commanded, a hexagonal barrier forming in front of him to block the blow. Madness hissed and recoiled a slight distance, before fading in and out of the air as it prowled around. Lyon flicked his gaze over to Jura, noting that he had defeated Sanity. "Guess it's my turn to finish this then" Lyon smirked. The action earned a growl from Madness.

The bestial creature then smirked, baring its teeth. "I'll… kill you…" it said in a broken, only barely human voice. After it finished speaking, Madness disappeared again. Lyon then smirked brighter, holding up his hand and calling on his magic. "I won't let you stay hidden, you monster" he called out, summoning forth a blizzard, "My blizzard will reveal you" he added as the air cooled rapidly. After a moment Lyon noticed the swirls of breath chilled in the air. "There you are" he said, calling on his magic again. "Ice Make; Dragonfly" he commanded, sending out a swarm of icy insects that homed in one Madness' position. They struck something solid, swiftly followed by a howl of anger. Madness reappeared again, his face showing his anger, his eyes still feral. "How can you… find me?" it asked Lyon, who continued to smirk.

"I can see your breath in this cold" he stated. Madness scowled and vanished again. Lyon used the slight trail of breath to follow his position. "Ice Make; Dragonfly, Ice Make; Eagle" Lyon said in quick succession, an array of creatures pouring forth towards Madness. The Nightmare was more prepared this time and dodged them all expertly, his advanced strength and speed giving him easy maneuverability. Madness covered the distance towards Lyon, getting behind him and leaping forward for a strike at his back. Despite the situation Lyon kept his head level, raising his arms to block the Nightmare's impact. Madness grabbed ahold of his arm, using the momentum of his leap to send the Ice wizard to the ground. Pulling back his free hand to land a punch Lyon took advantage of the close proximity to the Nightmare and unleashed his magic once more. "Ice Make; Sword" he stated, summoning up an icy blade which he then pierced into Madness' leg. The creature howled and let go, jumping back once more, although a lot more slowly than he had previously. With his new injury, Madness would be much slower and an easier target to hit with Lyon's magic. Madness eyed up Lyon, an almost calculating look in the animal eyes. Lyon didn't waste time gloating, he held his fist and palm together, willing his magic forth. "Ice Make; Snow Dragon" he commanded, the huge lizard shooting forward as it was created. Madness snarled and tried to leap back, however his leg gave way at the attempt and the dragon curled around him. "N-no…" Madness growled as Lyon approached, the icy sword in his hand once more. "No, stay away!" Madness continued, "I must… fight you…"

Lyon stopped momentarily. "You can speak now?" he asked in slight surprise; he had not expected this given the feral look in the Nightmare's eyes.

Madness nodded. "My power is temporary; it decreases in strength… the more I use my Camouflage" Madness explained. Lyon chuckled.

"So even you aren't willing to fully give up humanity for power. Your less of a monster than you seem" he stated, as Jura came over.

"So now you know how far he is willing to go to get strength" Sanity chimed in from his position enclosed on the floor. Jura nodded to Lyon.

"Good work, hold him still and I will restrain him" he instructed. Lyon nodded using his control of the dragon to position Madness on the ground, before Jura enclosed him in stone; just like his brother, only his face was visible and his powers were nullified.

/

With the fights finished Blake, Erza and all the other mages came over to observed the sorry states of the defeated Nightmares. Blake hobbled over to Sanity, the light pen held in his hand. Everyone else was busy taunting Madness and the two were alone. "Please kill us" Sanity said bluntly as he neared. Blake cocked his head.

YOU WANT US TO? EVEN THOUGH THAT STOPS YOUR MASTER'S PLANS?

He wrote. Sanity nodded. "We were one Nightmare once, one soul. Hope resurrected us to serve his own purposes, and he intends the same for Love. You have no idea what it feels like to be only half a soul… how empty it is…" Sanity explained, voice hollow.

I CAN KILL YOU PAINLESSLY, IF YOU WANT

Blake wrote. Sanity smiled. "Despite that we are your enemy you show us kindness?" Blake nodded, "Thank you. There is nothing more I want than to be whole again… I must die beside my brother" he said. Blake nodded understandingly.

IT IS TRULY A SHAME WHAT BECAME OF YOU. I ALWAYS THOUGH YOU WERE THE MOST HUMAN, NIGHTMARE OF CONSICIOUS.

Blake wrote, realising the pain Hope had inflicted on his own brethren. Turning to the others he wrote something out for them.

GO AND FIND HOPE AND WALTER. I WILL STAY TO DEAL WITH THESE.

He instructed. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" Sting asked him, he nodded. At that the others left. As soon as they were gone he brought out a phial, it contained a sickly sweet purple potion.

DRINK THIS AND IT WILL END.

Blake wrote. Sanity nodded, before flicking his gaze over to his brother. "Good bye brother, please do by what is right" he said. Blake brought the concoction to his lips and gave him half. Sanity closed his eyes and the potion took effect almost instantly, killing him swiftly and painlessly. Madness looked on grimly before Blake wandered over to him.

"It is painless?" he asked, his voice growing increasingly human. Blake nodded. "A shame… for what we have done there should be pain" he stated, before gesturing with his head to bring the potion to him. Blake complied, and gave him it too. Just like his brother he died with his eyes closed, almost sleepily. Walking off to find the others he left the bodies of the two Nightmares there; they wouldn't rot, his potion would destroy every fragment of their body until nothing remained.

Now all he had to do was find the one responsible for their suffering; Hope.

 **Chapter 24 End**

 **Next Chapter; Caught**


	25. Chapter 25 - Caught

**Chapter 25 – Caught**

 **Natsu POV**

I continued watching Hope and Walter fight. Although Walter's suit seemed to be empowered with a significant amount of magic, Hope effortlessly deflected, avoided, or stopped each spell he sent flying towards the boy. Another golden streak of light arced towards Hope, silvery flames soon following, however much like all the other Star Streams, Hope held up his hand and diverted the attack behind him, forcing Walter to stop it and focus on another spell. Cyrus had explained to me Hope's abilities as the other two fought; how Hope had his three main powers, plus several unknown magical abilities to boot. Realising the danger I had considered moving Gray's body elsewhere, where it would be safe, however I decided against it as I was worried that might reopen his wounds, or worse mean I missed Walter's cue.

Although it frustrated me greatly to be stuck on the sidelines, every time my eyes strayed to Gray's half naked, unconscious form, I felt a calm wash over me. As long as Gray was safe I didn't care about anything else; I had caused him enough problems already, I didn't want to be the cause of any more. Allowing my eyes to dart back to Gray, I took in his sleeping, motionless face. Unlike all the times I had seen him sleep since coming to the cove, Gray was still, no murmurs or little noises escaping his mouth as he slept. This fact reminded me that he was still in danger, albeit not as bad as it could be now that I could protect him.

Returning my gaze to the fight I noted that both Walter and Hope had ceased fighting, each stopping a moment to catch their breath. "Hah…" Walter panted a little, obviously he was weakened from using magic to reach this place even before he had begun fighting, "I don't recall you being so annoyingly strong, Hope…" he commented, a slight smirk on his face.

Hope shrugged. "Neither do I. But then again, I've never had to go all out before" he grinned cockily, "But regardless… I wasn't slacking off in the time between our brief little battles. Just like you I learned new tricks" he added, nodding his head in Walter's direction. "Although," the young boy pursed his lips in a thoughtful gesture, "I don't seem to have seen you use another Requip or Swift power since you changed into that suit… I wonder…" the Nightmare's voice went more high pitched, mocking even, "Is that because you can't? Or you won't?"

Walter narrowed his eyes on Hope. "More like, I'd rather not change into something I already know is ineffective against you" he retorted. Hope mockingly raised his eyebrows, a very childish gesture given his situation. "No, I think it's more like this…" he began, "Those 'divine' armors are too powerful, and it costs you a ridiculous amount of magic power to change into them. Also, you _can't_ use your other ability whilst you're in one because it gives you access to magic you shouldn't normally be able to use, am I right so far?"

Walter sighed. "Yes, fine, the Divine Garments are a limiting strength. However… they _are_ a strength" he stated.

"If they are as strong as you seem to believe, I wonder what it'd take to make you go all out?" Hope wondered aloud.

"Come at me and see" Walter replied, assuming another fighting stance. I could smell the magic power radiate off of him, it's scent reminding me of Jellal. _I wonder if he knows about these guys and the Nightmares?_ I thought suddenly, before pushing it aside; now was not the time to be distracted on other things, I only had two things to divide my attention, Gray, and Hope.

 _And only one of those two was going to live through this, I'd make sure of that._

/

A soft golden glow formed around Walter, concentrating mostly to his lower body and legs. "Comet" Walter stated, hovering a few centimeters off the ground. Hope cocked his head.

"How is that going to help you?" he mocked. Walter grinned.

"Whilst you're right I can't use Swift as I normally would, this'll give me a bit of help" he stated, before making a movement to shoot forwards. As Walter moved, the glow intensified, sending him soaring straight ahead, passed Hope, with a trail of light behind him. The spell reminded me of Jellal's Meteor, although it was different in that it didn't seem to allow him to gain much height. Hope looked towards where Walter now hovered, a slight raise of his eyebrows. "A speed enhancing spell?" he queried. Walter nodded.

"Yes, now… get ready for this" he shouted out, orbs of golden light and silver flames forming around each of his fists. With the Comet active Walter darted forwards, moving quicker than even I could see. I saw Hope dodge to the side, impressed by the reactions he showed, as impossible a feat it was. "How could I…?" Hope breathed. "I sped up my time perception but still…" I grinned, it was amusing to see the youth lost for words.

Walter seemed to be enjoying it too. "With Comet I can move almost at the speed of light, speeding up your perception of time will not help you. I'm too fast" he replied, earning a scornful look from Hope.

"We'll see about that" Hope stated. Walter nodded, before darting forwards again, spurred on by Comet. Speeding from one direction to the next, Walter drew patterns in the air with his light trail as he darted in and out, attempting to strike Hope. The Nightmare was good, his altered perception of time allowing him to easily dodge all of the spells, however, despite the fact I didn't really understand how his whole 'time power' worked, I could tell he was slowing down. Eventually Walter managed to land a hit, moving out of the way as a burst of silver and golden flames exploded from Hope's side. The Nightmare cried out in pain as the flames enveloped him, before quickly being extinguished, bright blisters and bloody burns clear all over his body. "Damn it… I can't control that… damned spell… too… fast" Hope said, voice showing his concentration as all of the wounds began to close up and heal, his clothes quickly following. Walter sighed. "And you just come back for more… masochist much?" Walter teased. Hope's gaze showed clearly his anger, his scent turning even colder and eviler than before; it made my nose wrinkle in disgust. _At least I can tell where he is from his scent_ I thought calculatingly.

After a moment, Hope gritted his teeth, his arm flicking out the hidden blade once more. "Guess I'll have to fall on more… old fashioned means…" Hope stated, sending a glaring smirk at Walter. The Requip mage shrugged. "That won't be as effective on me as it was on Gray; for one, I'm a faster target" he retorted. Hope shook his head.

"It will when I aim for that cocky face" he said, venom laced in his reedy, child-voice.

Walter laughed openly at the comment. "Well then… guess I'll be keeping you at close range… _child_ " he added as much venom to his own statement as Hope did. Despite the two's opposite goals, they really were quite similar in their tones and their actions. _Does that make Walter childish? Or Hope old?_ I wondered, it was a shame no one was around to hear that great comment, I was sure it would make Gray laugh. Hope leapt forward, the blade aimed towards Walter, who leapt sideways, propelled by Comet. Undeterred, the Nightmare, spun on a hand and re-positioned for another leapt towards Walter. This time Walter quickly conjured up two balls of golden light and silver flames into each of his hands as he dodged the oncoming boy. "Meteor Rain" he barked, the deadly spheres of magic surging forward, growing as they aimed for the Nightmare. Hope growled, holding up his free hand and dispersing the attack before it could even hit him. As the spheres exploded mid-flight Walter stood, preparing another spell. The faint glow of Comet grew weaker, although it was still present. Acknowledging the moment of weakness Hope charged, bladed weapon ready, however as he came close Walter smirked, his eyes trained directly on Hope. A silvery-blue glow enveloped his hands as he called out another spell. "Star Pillar" he howled, an explosion of silver, gold, and red flames erupting around him and propelling the unprepared Hope high into the sky. While mildly singed the boy continued to rise by the force of the spell, until Walter ceased fueling it, probably thinking he was high enough that the fall would kill him. Hope grinned, causing Walter to frown; instead of falling the boy levitated in the air, waving at Walter from on high. "Thanks, now I've broken my Air magic record" the boy called out. Walter growled angrily and leapt up, the stream of light trailing behind him still, although I could see it was getting fainter and weaker. Able to reach Hope, Walter readied his legs to come crashing down into Hope's floating form, however the boy dodged to the side, leaving the Requip mage to fall back to the ground. "I told you I learned some new magic" Hope stated, giving a passive shrug. Walter nodded, before leaping again. Instead of falling this time, Walter stood on a platform of golden light, firing multiple spheres of light at Hope. The boy dodged them with expert movements, sending his own fireballs at Walter. The fireballs did not burn Walter's suit, and instead were absorbed into the lacrima in his shirt and trousers, a smirk on his face as he fell to the ground once more. Hope frowned, "Those will absorb fire and starlight, correct?" he asked. Walter shrugged.

"Maybe…" he answered. Before Hope could speak another word, Walter leapt up once more, sending another few attacks towards Hope, however the boy used Wind magic to send all the attacks off course, sailing harmlessly away to disperse before they could hit the ground. "What annoying new tricks you have" Walter comment in an annoyed tone. Hope floated down to the ground, facing off against Walter on equal footing once more. "Guess it's time to bring out the _bigger_ guns" Walter added, before outstretching both of his arms once more, his fingers pointed towards Hope. "Star Stream" he commanded, sending twin beams of golden light and silver fire towards the boy. Hope laughed and redirected the attacks around him as he always had. "Tch…" Walter grunted, before ceasing one of the streams and instead rapidly conjuring and propelling forward a sphere of magic from his hand instead. "Meteor Rain" Walter called out as the attack shot forwards at Hope. The boy did not have time to avoid it as he was pinned down by the other Star Stream, and as the sphere grew it collided with Hope at enormous force, sending the boy backwards into the forest. Walter ceased the Star Stream before he could alight the forest, watching the shadows of the treed area carefully. After a moment Hope stepped out, brushing himself off as if taking the attack meant nothing to him. As usual not a scratch was on him, and no hole or damage could be seen to his clothes either. "Nice timing for a useless attack" the boy stated as he stood off against Walter again.

Walter sighed. "How many times do I have to hit you before you stay down?" Walter said, exasperated with the fight now it would seem.

"More time than we've got. I think it's about time I end this and do my job. Hand over dragon boy" he stated. Walter shook his head, however Hope smirked evilly. "I wasn't asking" he stated, before charging up his magic power. Raising his arms Hope unleased multiple attacks, wave after wave of fire, water, wind, lightning, even light and shadows. Walter gritted his teeth at the sudden onslaught of attacks, however a barrier of runes appeared before they could connect with their target. Cyrus ran up to stand a couple of paces behind Walter. "Thank you Cyrus" Walter said politely, before turning his attention back to Hope. Once more Walter activated Comet, a glow around each of his fists as well. He surged forwards towards the Nightmare, however before he could attack he called out. "Natsu!" he cried out. My ears pricked up at the sound, and I rose to my feet quickly. _Finally!_ I cheered as I used my sense of smell to detect where Hope was; then I unleased my magic, a hail of fireballs raining down on his position.

From the brief glimpses I could gather between the buildings and rubble, I saw Walter and Hope clash with their fists. Hope seemed to be having a hard time avoiding both my hidden attacks and Walter's visible ones, soon the Nightmare was overwhelmed. "Damn it I can't… stop attacks I can't see" Hope said, annoyed, as he sent a wave of wind to push Walter back. It stopped Walter momentarily, however it did not end the fight. "Exactly right. And now that you're pinned down, I'm going to do something very… _explosive_ " Walter stated, I could smell strong magic building in the air. Charing in close to Hope Walter laughed, " _Star_ … _Burst_!" he cried. I could see through a hole in the wall all of the lacrima on his suit glowing brightly. Suddenly silver and golden flames erupted outwards from each crystal, wrapping around Walter and quickly overtaking Hope too. "Agh!" Hope cried as the spell hit, an incinerating burst of heat taking over the air. Most people would've been burned by it, however I thought it was nothing and continued to observe as the golden and silver flames consumed Hope, damaging him too greatly for him to heal quickly, I hope at least.

Soon I smelt the presence of others; my friends. Stopping my fireball rain, I ran over to the space in between the buildings, greeting Blake, Erza, Lucy, Sting, Rogue… and Lyon and Jura too. _When did they get here?_

"Hey guys…" I panted, a little exhausted from having to keep up so many attacks. Cyrus stood between us and Walter's starburst, the attack pressing against rune's the brunette must have placed. _Probably to stop it doing too much other damage_ I thought. "Natsu, thank goodness you're okay!" Lucy cried. I nodded.

"Where's Gray?" Erza asked. I pointed behind me, to where Gray lay.

"He was hurt pretty badly, but Walter healed him" I explained.

"Hurt, how?" Lyon asked, a little note of brotherly concern in his voice.

"His stomach got slashed by Hope" I said flatly. "After Walter healed him he fought Hope one on one, and well…" I motioned with my head over to where the fireball was still going strong.

"That's Walter's magic?!" Sting said in surprise; obviously the others hadn't seen his God Suit yet.

"Yep. If you guys don't mind though I'm just going to check on Gray" I said, leaving them all gawking at Walter's power.

"You all should be ready for battle incase this doesn't work" I heard Cyrus say to them, his voice cut by concentration. Leaving them to the fight I stood and looked over Gray's unconscious form.

/

 **General POV**

As Natsu went to make sure Gray was alright, everyone else stood dumbfounded by the sheer power Walter's attack gave off. After a few minutes the gold and silver flames began to fade, turning to a normal red colour before fading all together. Walter stood, looking over a badly damaged boy, whose clothes had been all but burned away. "You've been beaten at last… Hope" the Requip mage said, his voice hollow as the attack had cost him a lot of his magic power. He donned a grandiose suit, flickering with lots of little lacrima, a golden cravat and waistcoat beneath the dark blue jacket. The other's all looked in surprise, except Blake and Cyrus, who were both wary of the boy's powers. _This boy is Hope?_ They all thought the same.

"Hmm… it seems… I have" the boy coughed out, each breath and sound a pained noise escaping his chest. Walter smiled in self-satisfaction as he turned and began walking towards the group. "It's done and the threat is over, the Nightmare of Hope is…" Walter declared.

"Not dead" the boy finished, earning a sharp look from Walter.

"Not technically, but you will be… soon enough" Walter said flatly. He was done with any more games. The boy, who lay crumpled in rubble, smirked at him.

"No, I won't be… ever" he retorted. Walter raised a hesitant eyebrow.

"How so?" he asked, suddenly worried. The other's all looked at the boy oddly; there was no way he could survive in the condition he was in, however he sounded confident.

"How so?" Hope parroted, "How so? I'll tell you then, since it doesn't matter now. I won't die _because you haven't killed ME_ " he said. Walter shook his head.

"Fine, I'll kill _you_ now then" he stated, a faint golden light forming around his hand.

"Walter, wait!" Cyrus barked, causing the Requip mage to pause. Hope began laughing, which resulted in him coughing up blood too.

"Looks like the Scribe's Eyes can see my deception, and here I thought you were too weak to use them again tonight" Hope commented. Walter looked to Cyrus.

"What's up?" he asked, fear edging his voice obviously now.

"That isn't Hope" he said flatly, voice devoid of emotion.

"It isn't?!" Walter panicked. 'Hope' nodded.

"Indeed" he stated, "Much the same way Jellal infiltrated the Magic Council, but was not there, so too have I been fighting you without really being here" Walter narrowed his eyes.

"A Projection?" he inquired. 'Hope' laughed.

"Yup, and now it's time to bid you… _adieu_ " he retorted, before fading into the air. The golden light around Walter's fist was sent flying high into the sky in a fit of rage. _"WHERE IS HOPE!"_ he roared, eyes scanning around. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed on something very key; a significant _lack_ of pinkette in the gaggle of wizards gawking panicked at the scene. "Where is Natsu…" Walter suddenly breathed. Lucy looked down the side passage. "I'll go get him" she said, making a move to go after the Dragon Slayer, however Walter shot forward on Comet and stopped her. "Don't" he stated, before looking down the passage. As he did that a disgruntled sigh ran out from the shadows and rubble.

"Aw… and here I thought I might get to slice _two_ fairies in one day" a childish voice sounded out. Walter growled at the sound as the other wizards suddenly assumed defensive stances.

"Show yourself!" Walter demanded. Hope stepped out from behind one of the buildings, Natsu and Gray, both unconscious, being trailed behind him. "Peekaboo" the boy said with a victorious smile, "And lookie here, I got myself a real winner" he pointed down at Natsu.

Walter balled his hand into a fist, letting Lucy go to join her friends. "Give Natsu back" Erza stated. Hope laughed amusedly.

"Oh sure… I'll totally do that, just let me stab myself in the head first, since I'd need half a brain to think that's gonna happen" Hope retorted. Erza moved forward, obviously aiming at getting Natsu away from him, however she stopped suddenly. "Ah ah ah…" Hope tutted, holding his blade up against Gray, "Move and the popsicle becomes an ice sculpture" he threatened. This action made Walter even more wary; after all of his effort in fighting the clone, and all of his power wasted, Hope was in a better position than before it had even started.

"How did you make that clone? Why did you reveal yourself, you could've left the clone to fool us and taken off with Natsu to resurrect that Succubus, the Nightmare of Love?" Walter inquired, whilst desperately thinking of a way to get Natsu back from him.

Hope shrugged. "Simple, I made it when you threw me in the forest. The clone fought you whilst I used my illusion skills to sneak around the side. And I called out because I want to see you all suffer as I resurrect her and then _kill_ the damned lizard that cost me so much precious time" the boy said, walking nonchalantly down the side passage with both Gray and Natsu. He stopped two paces from Walter, dropping Gray on the ground with a large _thud_. The mages all watched Gray's body carefully, before eyeing up the boy. Hope, who seemed to treat their weights as nothing more than a mild nuisance, then leapt up to the top of the relatively unscathed building beside Natsu and Gray's former room, still carrying Natsu in one hand. The feat took him very little effort and he enjoyed the looks of awe he managed to wrangle from a couple of the mages. "Now… I think it's time for the main event" he stated, using Wind magic to propel him and Natsu to a space in front of everyone, with half of Gray's unconscious form still visible. Lyon tried to make a move towards Gray, however Hope called out. "Try that and I'll slow time down, kill him, and then do what I came to anyways. If you want him to survive stay perfectly still, all of you, for the next few minutes" Hope threatened again.

"Do it" Walter enforced, "He really could get away with that, kill Gray before any of us could even take one step".

Hope smiled evilly at their defeated faces. "For those looks the sacrifice of those dogs was worth it" he stated. This made Blake tense, his hands forming fists, before he reigned in his anger to prevent Gray being killed. The act had not gone unnoticed by Hope, however he chose to look down at Natsu, altering his position to one where his arms were by his sides and his legs were together. Then the Nightmare placed his hands on Natsu's muscular chest, "Now… on with the show" he decreed, allowing his power to focus. The magic glowed a pallid white colour as it flowed over Natsu's entire body. Walter, analyzing everything carefully, realised that Hope's power was concentrated solely on Natsu, however he did not act for fear of Hope manipulating time and killing Gray before he could act. _He's got us all trapped with a hostage well out of his physical reach…_ Walter cursed inwardly.

The other's all grew more panicked as the ritual wore on. Lucy and Erza tensed, each ready to leap, however they were stopped by the continued threat to their other teammate. "We could try and jump him…" Sting muttered.

"I could try and morph into shadows and sneak up…" Rogue added. Walter glanced at the others, reading their faces; Erza and Lucy's fear at losing both of their friends, Rogue and Sting's anger at being left powerless, Jura's usual stoic face, and Lyon's worried glances over to Gray. _We must do something_ Walter thought, coming up blank with ideas.

Natsu's eyes snapped open as the pallid white glow changed into a deep red one. "Agh..." Natsu groaned, before letting out a furious roar, obviously he could already tell what was happening to him. The red light then became a crimson mist that swirled up, connected to Natsu by a tiny strand as the rest of it formed the picture of a beautiful women, one that only Walter, Cyrus, Blake, and Gray would recognize. "Ah…" she said, in a refreshed tone, "It's good to be back".

"Succubus" the three Triplet Code members all said it at the same time, silencing all the others, although for Blake it was more of a mental statement.

As everyone went still with dread Natsu continued howling, his eyes glaring angrily up at the woman. Succubus looked down at the small boy who was reviving her. "Shame it's not Joy, he's always such a nice thing to see when I wake up. If you're brining me back, Hope, then you must have some need of me" she said. Hope flicked his gaze to her for a second, before returning to looking down at Natsu.

"Indeed, Love, although… don't divulge any secrets yet" he stated. She frowned at him, before looking down at the angry face of Natsu. "Oh, aren't you pretty, all angry like that. You're positively gorgeous, Dragon Slayer, although… I think I might enjoy conquering you all over again" she stated, biting her lip. This made Natsu howl once more.

"Don't you dare…" he growled at her.

"I don't have to dare; my power will make you _beg_ this time" she retorted. Natsu snorted, however she leant down, her face only inches from his. "You _will_ be my slave" she added, getting even closer, " _And you'll love it_ " she then moved to kiss him, however Natsu panicked, tried to move from the touch, however, he was completely paralyzed by Hope's powers, allowing the Nightmare of Love to attack his mouth fiercely, before standing up once more. He growled and roared at her, however she gave him a scornful look, looking out over all of the other mages assembled. "It's a shame that Ice mage isn't here, he would be a _perfect_ slave too" she commented. Natsu narrowed his eyes, all of the hatred in his soul being directed at this one woman; he was only thankful that Gray _hadn't_ been there to see him kissed by another being. "Regardless, I can see a lot of other _handsome_ young men out there" she said, eyes trailing over Sting, Rogue and Lyon's bodies. "Yes, they'd all make _excellent_ slaves" she analysed.

"Be quiet, Love" Hope stated, voice edged with concentration on trying to revive her.

"Well if you hurried up I might be able to move on to making slaves of all these men instead of simply gawking at them, Hope" she retorted. Hope made no response, his spell was nearing completion and he had to focus completely now, otherwise she'd fade again, and the power left over would be removed from Natsu with no benefit to his designs at all. Grinning victoriously Hope managed to quickly finish off the spell, the Succubus's form becoming more solid that it had been. She looked down at herself and joined in his grinning. The wizards all stood in fear, worried for Natsu, as the Nightmare was being reborn, however suddenly a giant spear of ice flew overhead. All of their heads turned to Lyon, who stood equally as confused as they were. "Ice Make; Gungnir" a call sounded out. Looking up, they couldn't see anyone, however they all recognized the voice; Gray.

Hope looked around confusedly, only moments, mere seconds, away from completing the revival. He could tell it was Gray who said that, however his body was still visible on the ground. Suddenly, Hope's eyes went wide as he realised; Gray had left an ice clone. Cursing at his stupidity the Nightmare realised too late that the spell had been expertly sent with no hope for him to defend; it struck him in the arm, sending him crashing back. The image of the Nightmare of Love looked out surprised as the raven haired Ice-Make Wizard stood out, clutching the side of the building opposite the one beside Natsu and Gray's room. He was clearly weak from the wound he had suffered, however a great anger boiled deep in his eyes at seeing the Succubus once more. Natsu groaned, seeing Gray's anger he realised that the Ice mage he loved _must_ have seen him kissed by that dreaded woman. "Gra… ay" he whimpered. Gray's eyes softened as they refocused on the pinkette. "Don't worry Natsu, you're gonna be okay" he reassured the Dragon Slayer.

The other wizards, who were only know catching on as to what had happened quickly spurred into action. Hope got up from the ground a short distance away from Natsu. "Damn you! Damn you, all you had to do was stay down!" he cursed aloud. In the moments before the impact to his arm, the boy had managed to reinforce his spell, allowing it to freeze where it was up to, but not progress until he resumed it, however even he could see it was unlikely that he would get to resume it. Walter smirked at Hope, "Everybody, he's weak and his magic's still focused on Natsu. Attack now!" he barked. Prepared for violence, everyone reacted. Lucy looked to Loke, who had reappeared only moments before Gray's timely arrival, the Lion grinning wickedly before charging forwards, alongside Erza. Sting and Rogue each charged their magic, preparing the largest roars they had used yet, and Jura prepared to encase Hope in a significantly stronger version of his magic cancelling stone. Lyon was the only one not attack, as he had rushed over to help support Gray. Blake stood alongside Walter and Cyrus, observing the onslaught carefully.

Sting and Rogue fired first, their mighty Dragon Roars mixing into a beautiful swirl of black and white that Hope only just managed to defend against. Loke and Erza, who wore her Black Wing armor, were next, Loke's golden lighted fists pummeling into Hope's small, child form, quickly followed by a few stabs from Erza at his legs and arms. The four mages all came together standing between Natsu and Hope, watching as the child grimaced, his power waning. "No… No… NO!" the Succubus screamed, fading away to nothingness.

Broken and defeated Hope tried desperately to crawl away, a few pained groans escaping his mouth. Erza raised her sword to strike at him, as Jura prepared to entomb him, however Walter held both of their shoulders, shaking his head. Confused they ceased their assault as Blake and Cyrus joined them. "What is he…?" Erza began to ask the Script mage, who shook his head. Watching carefully, they all saw how Walter, clad still in his Divine Garment Astraeus, walked up to a space slightly in front of the Nightmare. "You had been defeated now… Nightmare of Hope" he stated to the child. This did not stop Hope, who still continued struggling to crawl, now on his stomach. "I will… defeat you…" he panted.

Walter shook his head. "No, you won't" he argued back. Hope stopped and glared up at him from the floor, despite his deadly nature, in his defeated state the Nightmare appeared as nothing more than a child, desperate to survive at all costs.

"Go die" he said flatly, "I don't want your company. Walter" he added. Walter sighed and looked over to the others.

"I know how hard he is to kill, give him a second and he'll regenerate. I will end this, everyone, get back" he said to them all. Cyrus shared a nod with Walter, before ushering everyone back. Despite the protests from Lyon, Gray lifted Natsu up and carried the Fire Dragon Slayer away to a safe distance. "Gray, you're injured…" Lyon tried to argue, to no avail.

"In one moment you will be dead and gone, Hope. Although I admit you were a nuisance, you were always fun. Any last words" Walter said, the magic already beginning to glow around him. The boy continued to glare up at him, however Walter noted the slight softening of his eyes. "Yeah, I guess it was always fun, but here's a nice classic line I'd like to go out on" the boy said, "I'll be back" he smirked wildly.

Walter chuckled a little. "I hope not" he said, before his eyes went cold, "And now it ends. Good by Nightmare of Hope" he stated. Hope closed his eyes and sighed.

"Good bye" he replied.

Walter charged his power all around him; this would be the last spell he would need to cast against Hope, and he would make it spectacular. "Ultimate power of the stars I beseech you, incinerate the world, and cleanse the cosmos. Nova D'Stella" Walter chanted. As he spoke the magic intensified, a great swath of golden flames erupting forth from the lacrima on his suit, bathing a great area around him in flames. Cyrus erected a barrier to prevent the spell from going anywhere but upwards, to which Walter was grateful. More flames erupted forth, not burning Walter, but incinerating Hope. Golden quickly gave way to silver, and then finally a towering inferno of fire, swirling with golden, silver, crimson, and pale pink flames burst upwards, an explosion to rival the fiery birth of a star, yet it did not burn anything, save the ground beneath and the body of the boy once known as Hope.

Watching on with amazement, all the wizards marveled at the tower, not least Natsu, who wondered what the flames tasted of. Only Walter got to see Hope's form disappear, not just melted but vaporized by the intense heat. _One more Nightmare gone_ the Requip mage thought, before finally deciding to dampen his magic power, the tower of fire finally descending until the spell ceased entirely.

Once it was gone, Walter returned to the others. "The Nightmare of Hope is now gone, dead to the world" he declared. Everyone did not cheer hearing this, however, as Natsu had slipped into unconsciousness.

"Natsu!" Gray cried out, kneeling above the Fire Dragon Slayer on the ground.

/

Everyone turned their attention to the mage they had been assigned to protect. "Natsu!" Gray cried out, "Wake up you idiot!"

"Err… Gray…" Walter said, making his way past everyone to stand beside the kneeling Ice mage. "Natsu was affected by Hope spell, if it is unfinished I don't really know what will happen to him. But I don't think he'll die. Let him rest" Walter explained. Gray looked up at the dark haired mage, eyes slightly dampened with tears.

"But Natsu… he's not breathing very much…" Gray stammered. Walter's eyes trailed over the Dragon Slayer, analyzing him critically.

"You're right… perhaps… the spell affected him more than I suspected" Walter spoke without thinking, only realising too late as Gray desperately bent over and hugged Natsu. Stunned by the display all the other wizards watched on from the sidelines.

"Gray…" Lucy breathed, although the Ice mage did not hear her.

Natsu was injured, dying perhaps, and all because he could not protect him. "Natsu… please… just wake up" he sobbed, reaching down to stroke a hand through the Fire Mages hair. Seeing the Succubus once more Gray's mind was thrown back to that time, where he saw Natsu consumed by her powers, nearing the verge of death. Tears falling down his cheeks Gray leaned in close to Natsu, silently begging the pink haired man to wake up, to look him in the eyes and tell him he was okay. No matter what he prayed, Natsu did not awaken, and Gray grew more frantic. Leaning in close he did the one thing he never believed he would do in front of anyone. He kissed Natsu.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I could feel something warm pressed against my chest, something familiar. When Hope's spell had failed I remembered seeing Gray hoist me up to carry me away, I saw Walter's inferno, thought about how tasty, how beautiful the flames looked; then I fell unconscious. Within that blackness I could hear words, curses being sent at me by the quickly dispersing remainder of the witch's power, sneering back at them I cheered once they finally vanished, knowing that meant we had at last won.

Despite knowing this, I found I could not awaken. I soon realised that the sensation was familiar; a feeling of blackness trying to consume me, just as it had attempted to in that tower, what felt ages ago. _Don't worry, Gray will save me_ I thought reassuringly, however no 'help' came. _Gray loves me, he wouldn't let me die_ I thought again, falling deeper into the darkness.

 _Gray…_

Then there was a soft, warm feeling pressed to my lips, a friendly, reassuring scent filling my nostrils. _Gray…_

The kiss, sweet and full of compassion and love, dragged me once more out of that darkness. I couldn't move to clutch the man I loved, however I felt reassured to feel him clutching me, his hand in my hair. I kissed him back. As soon as I did that I felt my eyes flutter open, the evening sky overhead an orange glow, back dropped to the scene I was always happy to see; Gray above me, holding me tightly.

"Natsu" he said breathlessly, his eyes obviously moist from tears.

"Gray" I replied, a great happiness in my chest.

"You're an idiot" he said, leaning down and resting his head on my chest. Soon I felt his body relax, the hand ceasing its little motions in my hair. As Gray fell asleep I felt my own mind begin to drift off too, happy that it was only going to sleep and not anywhere else. _Gray saved me… again…_ I thought.

Then I fell asleep.

/

 **General POV**

Everyone was stunned to see Gray and Natsu suddenly fall asleep together, right after kissing no less. "Does that mean…?" Lucy fumbled for words looking at the red head beside her, Erza smiled contently. "I think it means the guild might be quieter from now on" she replied.

Sting and Rogue each shared a look. "I think we're gonna need to talk to them later" they whispered at a volume only they could hear. Cyrus and Blake walked up to Walter's side, Blake quickly drawing a potion from his belt and opening the stopper. A pale blue mist rolled out over the pair, ensuring they were only going to be sleeping that night, as it passively restored their magic.

THEY'LL BE SAFE NOW

Blake wrote. Cyrus nodded and looked to Walter. "Do you think we should deal with this mess now, Walter?" the Script mage asked.

Walter shook his head. "No, I'll sort out all of the rubble in the morning. And I don't think they'll make much of a fuss over what they just saw either" he stated with a smile. The silent thought he made in his head remained private; _I knew they'd tell someone before they got back to the guild, I just didn't think they'd tell EVERYONE_.

The nosey Requip mage couldn't wait to see how the two dealt with the others.

 **Chapter 25 End**

 **Next Chapter; Explanation**


	26. Chapter 26 - Explanation

**Chapter 26 – Explanation**

 **Gray POV**

I awoke to the soft, familiar murmur of a sleepy Fire Dragon beside me. Opening my eyes I noticed immediately Natsu laying on my chest, his hair ruffled and messy, but his body otherwise fine and clothed. Looking around the room I realised that we were not in our rented house-room, but rather were splayed on a make shift mound of blankets and cushions in the dining hall. _Weird, when did we go in here?_ I thought observing how the tables and chairs had been rearranged to accommodate our sleeping area. After a moment of foggy thought a few choice memories came back from the evening before; Hope attacking me with that blade, and Natsu trapped by the Boy-Nightmare's powers. I looked down at the Dragon Slayer as I thought this, my eyes critically searching for any sign of change or harm caused by the events of yesterday. _I don't think he's been injured, he's just sleepy_ I summarized, choosing to look up to one of the windows conveniently opposite the 'bed'. There was a soft light and a pale pink-blue sky showing beyond the waters. _It's morning then, early morning I'd guess_ I thought, resting my head in Natsu's hair and taking in his scent. As I felt that comforting smell fill my nostrils more memories filled my mind; Natsu collapsing and falling unconscious, me crying over him, begging him to wake up, me kissing him…

The thoughts twisted at my stomach. _I kissed Natsu… in front of everyone_ the realisation hit me hard and fast. _I kissed Natsu… I kissed him whilst crying… IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!_ The realisation quickly gave way to panic that rose from my chest to my throat. _And Lyon was there too… what the hell is he gonna do? Insult me, maybe… Poke fun, definitely…_

As I spiraled deeper into panicked thoughts I noticed the change in Natsu's breathing, it was hard not too since he was pressed so close to me. "Ergh… G'morning Gray" the sleepy pinkette greeted me. Thankful for the sudden distraction I smiled at Natsu, shifting position so I lay next to him instead of with him on top of me. "Good morning Natsu" I replied. He smiled back at me, a perfectly content smile. _Obviously he doesn't remember what happened then_ I thought.

Natsu remained quiet, observing me for a few minutes before sweeping his gaze across the room. "Why are we sleeping in the dining hall?" he asked, a cutely confused expression on his features. I smirked down at him. "I don't know, I guess we passed out and then the others put us in here" I replied, not really caring about the logistics of _why_ we were here but rather _what_ made them think it was safe to let us sleep, cuddled up as we were, without killing each other when we awoke.

"Oh…" Natsu breathed, his face told me he was still trying to piece together what happened, "Er… we beat Hope, didn't we?" he seemed genuinely confused, so I decided to fill him in.

"Yeah, we beat him" I stated, a small smile playing with his lips.

"Then why are you worrying, we're obviously both alive?" he asked me. I seemed taken aback by his question, and was a few minutes in replying. "I can smell your worry Gray, tell me what happened, please" Natsu followed up. I sighed; there was no escaping a Dragon Slayer's nose.

"Well… after we beat Hope down, Walter used some sort of 'ultimate spell' that created this huge inferno to kill him, guess he thought it was appropriate" I explained. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, I can remember looking at flames and wondering what they tasted like" he said. I chuckled whilst rolling my eyes; of course he'd think about food, even in a life-or-death fight. "Yeah… after that you kinda passed out and then…" I faltered, however Natsu's slight smile became a wider smirk.

"You kissed me" he stated bluntly. I nodded.

"I kissed you because I sort of overreacted, I'm sorry" I said to him. Natsu's face quickly became puzzled again.

"Why are you sorry, I like kissing you?" he inquired. I sighed. _Should I tell him?_ I thought. Natsu's eyes narrowed on me. "What happened, Gray?" he asked me a bit more sternly.

I looked into his deep green eyes, a fire set within them. "Err… um… well… when I kissed you we were kinda… in front of… _everyone_ " I stuttered. Natsu didn't move for a couple of seconds, his brain processing what I said. "Is that all?" he asked finally. I looked at him incredulously.

"Is that all?" I parroted, "I kissed you in front of everyone. Aren't you mad, or worried about what they'll say?" I asked him, not thinking for a moment who I was asking this.

Natsu shrugged and ran a hand over my chest. "I know we've been keeping it a secret, but I've told you before; I don't care whether people know or not, Gray, I left it up to you" he said, "Anyways, if people _don't_ like it, I'll beat 'em senseless until they do" he grinned at the prospect of violence, but wrapped an arm comfortingly around me. "Are you worried about what they'll think?" he asked me. I gave the answer some thought.

"I guess… not really, I was just kind of in shock that I had done that, but I had all these flashbacks to the tower, and seeing that women again…" I trailed off as Natsu trailed kisses along my shoulder and neck.

"Don't worry, she's gone now and I'm still here" he said. I smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I know. I guess I panicked just now, but I know that none of them would actually hate us. I mean, no one in our guild can hate another member, not really" I stated. Natsu nodded.

"That's right. All of us in Fairy Tail care for each other"

"But can we try to keep it quiet for now, just the people here can know" I asked Natsu, who sighed, rolling his eyes at me. "First you kiss me in front of everyone, then you ask if I'm okay keeping it a secret from a few people. I think you're pretty messed up Gray" he said to me, before patting his stomach, "However I'm fine with whatever you want to do, so I don't mind if you only want to let a few people in on it. On _us_ " he smirked at me. I smiled back at him, knocking him on the side of the head.

"Thank you" I said quietly. Natsu nodded.

"It's okay, however… do you think we could get some food, I'm kind of hungry" he replied. Now it was my turn to sigh and roll my eyes. _Of course he's thinking about food, when_ isn't _he_ I thought amusedly, _But I suppose if he wasn't like that he wouldn't be Natsu_ I reasoned as Natsu verbally debated whether there would be anything in the kitchen we could raid. I leaned in and kissed his soft lips to shut him up for a second. He was too caught up in his words and had to stop for a minute to allow his brain to catch up with what was happening. After a short, chaste kiss, we broke apart, Natsu grinning stupidly. "So you have no problem kissing me now?" he asked. I smiled.

"Of course I don't, we're alone right now" I said flatly. Natsu smiled, his nose twitching slightly.

"Not for much longer" he said. I followed his gaze to the door, noticing the sound of approaching footsteps. "Someone's coming" Natsu added, stating the obvious. Despite everything that we had just said, a tiny doubt still remained at the back of my mind. _Who's coming?_ Was my first thought, quickly followed by, _How are they gonna react to me and Natsu kissing, not to mention cuddled up together like this?_

Even with that thought I still wriggled closer to Natsu, a great sense of protection filling me as I felt his warm body next to mine. Regardless of how this person reacted, I knew I could always rely on him to be there for me. Always.

/

As we continued to look towards the door, the footsteps neared, growing louder before stopping all together, shadows of feet at the door telling us that whoever approached was just behind the entrance. Clearly Natsu already knew who it was, however he was giving me no clues, and I just had to wait in mildly-concerned quiet as the person composed themselves before entering.

After a moment the doors swung open and the wizard stepped inside. I was first to react to the scene; my childhood friend and rival, Lyon, stood there with a stoically stern expression on his face. His narrow eyes adjusted to the dimness of the hall before fixing themselves on where Natsu and I lay. "Good morning, Gray, Natsu. I thought I heard your voices, and felt I should check up on you" he said calmly and politely. _Okay, sounds good so far_ I thought.

"Er… good morning, Lyon" I said back to him, Natsu to busy keeping cozy beside me to respond.

"Was I interrupting something?" Lyon asked, a slight touch of sarcasm in his voice. I shook my head.

"No" I said flatly, nudging Natsu a little with my elbow to get him to stop groping me like some giant octopus, unsure of when the other Ice-Make wizard was going to bring up the fact I practically had Natsu wrapped around me at this point. It only lasted a few moments before he cracked a smirked. "I never had this pegged for you" he said with mild amusement. I was prepared for an insult, or at least a slight bit of mocking from Lyon, so the amused tone threw me off a little. "I mean, I shouldn't be surprised, any straight man would've fallen head over heels for a chance with a stunning beauty like Juvia" he added with a slight amount of romanticism in his voice. _So that's how he's going to play this_ I though carefully. I noticed Natsu tense up slightly at the mention of the Water mage, however he quickly calmed down. _That's a problem for later…_

"So you're okay with _us_?" I asked Lyon, straight-to-the-point.

Lyon raised an eyebrow. "You want a clear answer then?" he said. I nodded, propping myself up so I was sitting rather than lying awkwardly with Natsu beside me. Lyon smirked once more, moving to perch against the table nearest to where we were, folding his arms across his chest. "I guess I was surprised when I saw you kiss Natsu yesterday, however I didn't really feel angry or upset with you or anything. I mean, you guys do spend a lot of time together so it doesn't bother me that you're together like this. I just can't believe you didn't tell any of us sooner" Lyon spoke with a sincere expression. I noticed Natsu sniffing the air slightly, obviously making sure he was telling the truth, however I didn't need his nose to tell me that Lyon meant this. "Besides, it's not like I can do anything to change this. Ur would've accepted you and so will I" he added with a shrug. I was surprised by his reaction, although everything he said reinforced what Natsu had said to me just before.

"So you're sure?" I asked once more.

Lyon smiled pleasantly. "Of course" he replied, "Why, do you not want people to know or something?" he added, a slight mocking in his tone now, "Because if that's the case I'll keep my mouth shut, _you've_ just got to remember to keep _your_ mouth to yourself too" Lyon nodded at Natsu, who chuckled a little at my expense. I grinned and bared it for a few minutes as the two threw a few jokes around, Lyon and Natsu warming surprisingly quickly. After a short conversation, Lyon checked the time. "Looks like I should probably get back to Jura. I only left to see if you two were up" he stated matter-of-factly. I furrowed my brows.

"You're leaving already?" I asked, however Lyon shook his head.

"Later. I just need to discuss some things with him about what to do in the event of another crisis. He wasn't around earlier and I stopped off here on my way finding him" the white haired mage explained. I nodded and moved to get up to bid him goodbye, however he gestured for me to remain where I was as he neared the door. "You don't need to get up yet" he said, "You two deserve a rest after everything that happened yesterday. Cyrus said Blake was pretty beat up too, from taking on both of the other two Nightmares by himself. They'll be around in about an hour or so to check up on you, then they'll decide what to do from there" he added before leaving. "See you later, Gray. Oh… and Natsu," he started, the pinkette looked intently at him, "Please be careful with Gray, I know how stupid you both can be, but at least look out for each other" he said.

Natsu grinned broadly. "Of course I will, someone's got to keep an eye on this popsicle" he poked my side, making me wriggle. Lyon chuckled at the comment before opening the door and stepping out into the morning light.

Once he was gone Natsu turned to me, the same broad smile on his face. "I told ya they'd be fine with it. Heck, even Lyon doesn't care, not really" he said. I nodded and grinned too, before pulling him in for a short kiss. "Yeah, I know. You were right" I replied. Natsu laughed.

"Could you please just say that again?" he asked me.

"Say what?" I asked confusedly.

"That thing about me being right" he said. I punched him on the arm.

"No. You're an idiot" I stated, before Natsu began kissing me again.

/

 **An hour later**

We had talked on and off for about an hour when another person approached the building. Natsu had been discussing whether or not we would be okay doing couple-stuff in front of everyone whilst we were here on the beach, when a knock sounded. "Gray, Natsu, are you awake?" it asked. We both stayed quiet, seeing if the mage was going to enter. After a few minutes not one, but six wizards entered. Lucy was first through the door, popping her head in to see if we really were asleep or not. "So you are awake" she said cheerily, walking in with Erza, Sting and Cyrus all behind her, Blake and Rogue tailed the group, each as quiet as usual. _Looks like we have to deal with everyone at once_ I thought worriedly. Natsu and I still continued to lie, propped-up on our bed as the others came in. "Er… Hey guys" I said to them friendlily. Natsu's arm was around my waist already, his head resting on my shoulder. Lucy raised an eyebrow seeing him grin at her. "W-were we interrupting anything?" she asked suddenly unsurely. Natsu laughed, but I shook my head, pushing him off so we could all sit together around one of the tables. Sting and Rogue had to pull over chairs as Natsu pouted, sluggishly shuffling over to the empty chair beside me. As soon as we were faced by everyone together me and Natsu both found ourselves unable to speak, wanting them to be the ones to make the first move. Cyrus and Blake had already disappeared into the kitchen, giving us a short analytical glance as they passed. After a long moment they began to ask the inevitable.

Lucy was the first to speak. "So… er… are you two together, or was that kiss just some one-off thing?" she asked warily. Natsu smiled at her.

"We're together, we have been for a couple of weeks now" he replied. Erza raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really, and you never told anyone?" she asked. Natsu went quiet, clearly not wanting to admit the truth, however I slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him closer to me. "Well… we did kinda tell one person, and another sort of found out" I admitted to the redhead. Sting was smiling at me as I spoke, obviously he had already suspected something was up between us, since he seemed the least inquisitive of the group. _So we didn't fool him when he came over before_ I realised suddenly. "Who knows then… oh wait… is it Lisanna, or maybe Mira?" Lucy inquired. I shook my head. "Was it Lyon? He's close to you, or maybe… is it Juvia?" the blonde continued. Once more I shook my head.

"It's none of them" I stated. They all gave puzzled looks, trying to work out who on Earthland we could've trusted enough to tell. After a brief moment of confusion, I decided to set things straight, since it was my fault that we even were having this conversation with them at this moment in time. "Alright, so the person I told isn't exactly a member of our guild, but it is someone you know. They worked it out without me telling them, and then helped me to actually get together with Natsu" I explained. Lucy furrowed her brows in thought.

"So they knew before you two got together?" she asked for confirmation. Natsu and me nodded.

"Yeah, he kind of helped me to make Gray admit he had feelings for me" he blurted, giving away a big clue. I smirked as the others still failed to realise who we were talking about. Savoring the moment, I hesitated. "So, the person that knows is Walter" I stated at last. A few widened eyes of realisation, quickly followed by flashes of understanding passed through those assembled. "You told Walter? When? Why?" Lucy babbled. I chuckled a little.

"It was back when they first arrived, after about a week you, me, and Walter all went on a job together, remember?" I prompted her. After a moment of thought she nodded.

"Yeah, you two wouldn't stop arguing about who as going to drive" she stated.

I nodded. "That's right. It was on our way back from the client's, we stopped to sleep in the forest. At the time I was kind of… I guess you could say _lost_ , and I couldn't get to sleep. Walter was awake, and after prompting me a bit, the smug bastard decided to show off and correctly guessed that not only was I in love with someone, but who I was in love with" I stated.

"So you've known for a while?" Erza asked flatly. I nodded, but Natsu butted in.

"I had also felt something for Gray, but I didn't understand what it was, so I always got angry and fought him" he stated. Hearing that made me realise that we had both kept feelings hidden for a long time. _Natsu…_ I thought happily, _I'm glad I told you_.

Erza smiled warmly at us, an odd image coming from the woman who wore armor everywhere, and beat us up for no apparent reason. "You two are idiots, but you would be good together" she stated, moving over and giving us a back-crushing hug. I patted her arm more out of submission than comfort, but it seemed to have the same effect. "Er… than-thank you" I panted. She nodded curtly and sat back down. Looking back at the group after being assaulted by the redhead, I now noticed Sting beaming with a grin, Lucy smiling happily, even Rogue cracked a smirk. "I kind of guessed when I walked into your room" the blonde Dragon Slayer admitted, "And Rogue, you owe me one hundred jewel" he added, patting the Shadow Dragon Slayer on the back. Rogue glared at him before returning to smirking at us. "We kind of bet on whether you were together or not. Although I did bet against it, since you always seemed to be fighting, I want you to know I really do not mind what you do, and I'm happy that you're okay" he stated, before looking to Sting. The blond tapped the table contentedly.

"I'm, of course, fine with it too" he said, "But… can we talk later, I've got a few things I want to ask you, Natsu?" he made the request to both of us, despite focusing on my boyfriend.

Natsu shrugged. "Sure" he said, "I don't mind" he looked to me for clarification. I nodded too.

"Yeah, just come ask us whenever" I reiterated. Sting nodded, patting Rogue.

"We'll come by later, after Walter's finished doing whatever he said before" he said. This made me frown.

"What is Walter doing?" I asked, Sting shrugged, however at the mention of the Requip Mage, Cyrus seemed to reappear.

"Walter is going to be doing us all a favor and fixing all the damage caused in the fight" the Script mage said. "Plus he wants to show off" he added, moving back to where he came from. I took this in as Blake appeared carrying trays of breakfast stuff. He placed them in front of everyone with a smile.

YOU ALL NEED TO EAT UP TO RESTORE YOUR STRENGTH

He wrote with his newly recovered Light Pen. I smiled at him, as Natsu already started helping himself to all the food. "Thanks for all this" I said to the dark haired mage. Blake shrugged in response.

COOKING'S LIKE CHEMISTRY, BUT FUN. AND TASTY IT SEEMS.

He wrote in reply, nudging Natsu slightly as the Fire Dragon helped himself to copious amounts of food. I sighed and began taking stuff for myself before it was all eaten by my ravenous boyfriend. _Geez, will Natsu slow down_ I thought as I piled food, then I noticed Sting and Rogue had a mountain of food each too, and a smile passed across my lips. _Dragon Slayer's stomachs must be as big as a Dragons_ I quipped silently. Erza and Lucy seemed to be having the same thoughts as they smirked up at me, observing the three as they rushed to consume as much food as possible.

 _Despite all this they still treat me exactly the same_ the thought filled me with comfort as I began tucking in to my own breakfast of meats, toasted bread, and other delicious foods.

/

After we all ate Cyrus reemerged once more. "It's nearly time everybody, Walter's done preparing and will be about to do his _big show_ outside soon" the Script mage informed us. We all nodded in understanding, quickly tidying up all of the blankets and cushions that had been used to make up Natsu's and my bed. "Hey Gray," Natsu whispered as we helped Lucy put the blankets away. "What is it Natsu?" I replied.

"What do you think Walter's _bid show_ is gonna be?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"No idea, but knowing him he'll make it big and flashy" I stated, earning an amused nod from the pinkette.

"Yeah, he's always so damn cocky" he stated. I chuckled slightly hearing that, earning a confused look from Lucy. "Look who's talking" I guffawed. Natsu pouted and crossed his arms.

"I'm not _that_ cocky, I just like teasing you, Ice Princess" he stated in mock offended tone. I continued smiling as I nudged his arm. "Come on, I was only _teasing_ you this time" I said back to him. Natsu nodded and smiled whole heartedly.

"What are you two whispering about?" Lucy asked suspiciously.

"Nothing" we both replied in unison, looking at each other as we did so. Lucy rolled her eyes at us. "Come on, there's only a few left. Erza went to help Sting and Rogue get ready for whatever it is Walter's doing, so all we've gotta do is get these cleared up" the Celestial wizard stated. I nodded and prodded Natsu in the side.

"Come on, flame for brains, help me fold these" I instructed him. He pouted again at me.

"Make me, popsicle" he replied aggressively. I snuck a hand up his back, he seemed momentarily surprised, but then relaxed into the touch, just as I expected. Then I sent some magic to my palm, making him yelp instantly. He glared at me, rubbing the cold patch on his spine. "Well, you did say 'make me', so I thought a nice blast of cold would make you move quicker" I stated amusedly. Natsu continued glaring, before sighing and helping me out.

"Stupid popsicle" he muttered under his breath. A quick glance over to Lucy told me she was finding this scene amusing as well. "You two never change" she said, before running off to tidy up some more stuff. I looked to Natsu and he smiled. "She's right, no matter how much we kept this a secret we're still the same as we were" he said. I agreed with him.

"Yeah, but at least now I get to kiss you" I said, before kissing his cheek. He laughed and then we quickly finished off tidying the remainder of the blankets before going off with Lucy to find the others, eagerly pondering what Walter could want us all there for.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We found the others, plus Walter, Jura and Lyon, all standing on the crest of the hill that led down to the site. Walking around finding them, both Gray and I realised that most of the buildings had been destroyed by either the battle with Hope, or with the twin Nightmares, and the entire place was in disrepair. "Here comes lover boy one, and lover boy two" Walter chirped as we arrived last, alongside Lucy. I sighed and smiled at the Requip mage. Walter wore a plain grey suit again, his dark, blond-tipped hair messy and set out in spikes at all angles. "Hey Walter" I replied, "So what's all this about?"

He smirked. "You'll see in a minute, I'm gonna test drive a new suit I've got" he said, a glow forming around himself. "Requip;" he started, all of the assembled growing quiet. I held Gray's hand, and smiled at him, he clearly wasn't use to me showing affection as publicly, and I found it amusing to watch him quickly glance around to see if anyone had noticed. "Chronos, I summon you" Walter added.

After the light flashed, Walter stood in a new suit, although it was not too dissimilar to the one he had worn previously. I was a pleasant dove grey jacket, with a light, powder grey, shirt, and matching dove grey trousers and shoes. As usual he had a glove over each of his hands, however unlike all the other suit combos we had seen him in these were completely different from the suit. The right glove was a jet black and made of a leathery substance, whilst the left was made of a golden leathery material with a white cuff. On top of this there was a small, ticking clock embedded into the back of the hand of each glove, and also he wore a metallic epaulet on each shoulder, a black metallic one on his right and a golden one on his left to match the gloves. These each had a clock in too. "What's that suit?" Lucy inquired.

"It's another of my three Divine Garments; Chronos, the Lord of Time" Walter replied, matter-of-factly, fixing a tie around his neck. It too was half black and half gold, with lots of little clock designs woven into the fabric. His overall appearance was odd, however much like the other Divine Garment, Astraeus, this one gave off a powerful smell of magic. I noticed Sting and Rogue's noses twitch too, and nodded over to them. _This is a really powerful suit._ "With the powers this gives me, I will be able to undo all of the damage that was done to our lovely buildings" Walter explained, "However, whilst the suit has been empowered with Arc of Time, among other magics, it _does_ have the power to somewhat manipulate the time of living things" he added.

Cyrus nodded. "We would request you all stand with me and Blake within an enchantment, just to be safe" the Script mage stated, gesturing to a cordoned off area, already glittering with runes in an unknown grey script. We all complied, eagerly wanting to observe Walter's powers, and once we were all inside the barrier, Walter grinned at us. "Let's see what I can do with this" he said confidently, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes at getting to be the center of attention. He made a gesture with each hand. "From darkness of night I call you to my side. Split time asunder; Twilight" Walter incanted. A great wave of darkness pulsed from the black glove and epaulet. It quickly molded into shadows before forming a shining, black, metal spear, which floated to Walter's right. "From light of day I call you to my side. Reveal all time to me; Dawnbreaker" he then stated, this time a wave of light poured forth from his left shoulder and glove, shifting and molding into a large kite shield that appeared to be made of pure gold, and gave off a faint rainbow aura. "The Twilight, spear that can pierce all, and Dawnbreaker, the shield that can stop all, with them both I can completely mold time" Walter stated aloud, "Now…" he gave a concentrated expression, "Firstly, Twilight… split the time of the buildings off from our own" he stated, pointing the spear towards the buildings. It let itself fly around each building before returning to Walter's side. "Now… Reversal" Walter swiped his arms through the air, a wave of grey energy washing over the scene. Even the waves were still as the energy washed over everything, making bricks and mortar, carpet and wood, all begin floating and moving back to exactly how it was before the fights, fixing itself without anything to needed to hold it together. As everything flowed backwards, Walter gave off an air of satisfaction, I couldn't help but be amazed as everything went back to exactly how it was, and I noticed Gray's eyes light up at the spectacle as well.

After only a few moments everything seemed returned to normal, so Walter nodded. "Now, at last, Dawnbreaker, reconnect time for it all" he instructed. The shield glowed, it's rainbow light shimmering brightly. Walter looked intently at the shield, and once the light faded he waved his hands dismissively. "Begone, tools of time!" he instructed. They both dissolved into shadows and light and flowed back to his suit, once that was done he smiled brightly at everyone.

"Looks like it's done. Not as flashy as I hoped but…" he shrugged, "It's the first time I've used this suit"

I smiled at Gray. "It didn't need to be flashy, at least I get to share a place with you again" I said to him, he nodded.

"Yeah, I feel the same way" he whispered back. Lucy cooed over both of us, and we soon realised that everyone was watching.

"Way to go showing me up" Walter called, "You two are far more entertaining than me" he added with a cocky tone. I laughed and Gray blushed slightly. _Too cute_ …

Now that everything was fixed, Walter allowed us all to return to where we were each staying, Lyon and Jura bidding everyone farewell as they had to return to their guildhall. Gray said goodbye to Lyon, giving him a hug, before the two parted ways once more.

/

With Lyon and Jura gone, that only left the six of us, plus the three Triplet Code members. I dragged Gray over to our room, as he unlocked the door with the keys. "What's the hurry Natsu?" he asked me confusedly. I shrugged.

"Can you blame me for wanting you to myself for a little while?" I asked, Gray shrugged back.

"Guess not" he said as I dragged him inside and pushed him against the door, kissing him passionately. Gray kissed back, our tongues sliding over one another, his arm wrapped around my waist. _Gray…_ I thought hungrily, however before we could get any further a knock sounded against the door. "Hey Natsu, Gray, I know that you're a little busy, but can we talk?" a voice sounded.

I frowned and pulled off of Gray to let him open the door. "Hey Sting, and Rogue" Gray said with a surprisingly cheery tone. Sting grinned at us both, a slight twitch of his nose telling me he could already smell that we had been kissing on the other side of the door. "Thanks, sorry about this, but can we come in?" Sting asked me specifically. I sighed and moved to allow them inside. _What the hell do they want? I know we said we'd talk later but… really, now?_

They wandered inside, Rogue's eyes moving over the single bed quickly before analyzing the rest of the room. "So you really do only have one bed" the Shadow Dragon Slayer noted. I nodded, taking a seat on one of the two sofas, Gray sitting beside me. Sting smiled and sat opposite, gesturing for Rogue to sit beside him.

"We just wanted to talk to you guys for a minute, since I've never met a mated Dragon Slayer" Sting said abruptly. I widened my eyes.

"So you… wanted to talk about _that_?" I said in surprise, my eyes already trying to avoid the blonde's gaze. I felt Gray's eyes on me, and when I came to meet it, I found that a slight pang of sadness hit me.

"What's wrong?" Rogue asked flatly. Sting narrowed his eyes, sniffing the air.

"Oh… erm…" I stammered, unsure of what to say. "W-well… what did you want to ask?" I said. _Why the hell did this have to come up now?_ I added mentally, _I mean, Gray's already known about it but…_

 _Still…_

 _And why is it Sting who's asking?_ I was pretty confused about the whole thing.

"How did you… um…" Now Sting seemed to be in the same position as me. Rogue sighed and knocked the Guildmaster on the side of the head.

"What he means is; do you know any ways around the whole mating bond with sex thing" the Shadow Dragon Slayer said flatly. I jaw dropped. "Roguuuue, why did you have to say it like that?" Sting whined.

I looked to Gray for a moment before grinning, he caught my grin and nodded. "W-well…" I started.

 _I wonder if…_

 **Chapter 26 End**

 **Next Chapter; Lessons on fun**


	27. Chapter 27 - Lessons on fun

**Chapter 27 – Lessons on fun**

 **Natsu POV**

Sting sat opposite me and Gray on the other sofa, Rogue sitting beside him looking a lot calmer than his Guildmaster. "Roguuuue, why did you have to say it like that?" he whined. Rogue just sat passively, seemingly the question of 'Do you know any ways around the whole mating bond with sex thing?' hadn't fazed the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

I shared a small glance with Gray, before grinning. Gray ginned back at me as we turned to face them. "W-well…" I started, catching myself before I began stuttering again. _If Rogue can keep a straight, calm face then so can I,_ I thought determinedly. "Well, it depends on what the situation is" I stated. Sting cocked his head, stopping his prodding of the Dragon Slayer beside him to actually look at me. "The situation?" he asked. I nodded.

 _I wonder if they are…._

"What I mean is, well… for me and Gray it's kind of… _specific_ " I said, trying but failing to find the word I wanted. Sting still seemed confused, and even Rogue was furrowing his brows. Gray chuckled from beside me and I looked to him for support. "What Natsu means is he can do stuff to me but not the other way around" he said flatly. I nodded, although with a little disappointment. _So I'm stuck like Sting then, giggling like a little kid whilst Gray and Rogue act properly_ I thought, annoyed by my boyfriend's show of maturity. Rogue nodded in understanding, Sting looking more withdrawn in thought. "Ah… right…" he muttered, "So… what you mean is it's _one_ _way_ " Sting said for clarification. Both myself and Gray nodded in unison.

"Not that we mind, I'm fine with just receiving… for now" he winked at me. I blushed slightly, before returning to looking at the other two Dragon Slayers. _I guess I should ask them then, since I don't think Gray's going to_ …

"So err… are you two asking this because there's _someone_ you both want to… you know… have sex with?" I asked them with a mild amount of embarrassment. Sting went wide eyed for a split second, before nodding.

"Er… yeah…" he said in surprise. I nodded and laughed.

"Is it someone we know?" I added on. Sting nodded again, this time a little more reluctantly. Grinning stupidly, I went to ask one more question, however Gray intervened.

"So, do you think you're mates, or is this just some one-off thing?" he said. I sighed inwardly, _You're ruining my fun Gray…_

Sting nodded once more, however before he could speak, Rogue butted in this time. "Sting, I think… they've worked it out" he stated to the blond. Sting sighed and nodded, looking up at me, my grin reforming on my face now as I finally got to ask my question. "Are… _you two_ mates?" I said.

Sting sighed once more before grinning himself, he turned to Rogue and kissed the black haired wizard on the lips. "Yeah, we are… I think" he stated. I smiled, amused by the look of amazement on Gray's face. _So he hadn't worked it out?_

"Woah… you two are together too?" he said, stunned. Sting laughed.

"So only Natsu got it?" he replied. Gray looked to me and I shot him a smile.

"Wait… if you two are together then how come Natsu couldn't smell anything different?" The Ice mage seemed to be trying to process this quite confusedly, given that _he_ had chosen to tell, or more accurately show, everyone our relationship. Sting shrugged and wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist, despite the wriggled protest the Dragon Slayer gave. "Maybe he was so focused on keeping your scents hidden that he didn't think about other peoples?" Sting offered, looking back to me. I shrugged too.

"Maybe. It's also possible that your scent isn't that strong yet, since I'm guessing you two haven't… err…" I didn't want to say it. Sting laughed.

"Well, that's true" he admitted. "When you two first invited me over and I saw the bed I figured out you two were in some kind of relationship. So I figured you'd have information, or perhaps some kind of way that me and Rogue could… well, fuck. But if you can only do it one way, since Gray's not a Dragon Slayer, then I guess me and Rogue will have to wait. Isn't that right, Roooogue?" the White Dragon Slayer pulled his own boyfriend in close, kissing him on the cheek noisily. Rogue sighed.

"This is what I have to put up with" he complained to us. I grinned and dragged Gray in close too, although he didn't protest like Rogue.

"Don't worry, can't be any worse than this paranoid popsicle's jealousy problem" I reassured Rogue. The Shadow Dragon Slayer smirked as Gray pouted at me.

"Oh come on, I've said I'm sorry. Plus, it's not as bad as your overprotectiveness" he retorted. I shook my head and kissed him fleetingly.

"I suppose you're right there" I admitted, before stopping as Sting chuckled.

"Aw, you two are cute together" he said in a cooing tone, an odd sound coming from him. Rogue nodded in agreement. I pouted.

"We are not" I said. Gray laughed along with them.

"Well, you _are_ kind of cute Natsu, especially when you're all pouty" he said, pinching my cheek before kissing it. I hit him in the arm. "Shut up, popsicle" I said. Deciding to quickly change the topic I looked back to Sting and Rogue; "So is there anything else you were wanting to ask?" I said to them. Sting shook his head and got up.

"No, I think we've got all the information we wanted, you two can go back to doing what you were _before_ " he winked at us. I smirked and got up to open the door for them. "Oh... actually, one last thing…" Sting said. I stopped and looked at him, cocking my head. "So, are you two mates or not… I mean, are you… thinking about mating?" he tried to hide a little embarrassed glance back to Gray, who stood near Rogue. I shrugged.

"We've sort of got an… _agreement_ about it" I said, "But right now we're not mated yet" I added. Sting nodded and took in this information like he did all the other bits. "Okay, just wondering… because me and Rogue we're kind of thinking about it too… and I just wanted to know if any of the other Dragon Slayer's were going through the same sort of thing" he explained. I nodded and waved as they began to leave.

"Actually, if you want more information, you should probably visit Fairy Tail. Gajeel's mated to Levy, they might be able to tell you more if you need to" Gray said. I looked to the Ice wizard and smiled. "That's actually a pretty good idea, Ice Princess" I said cheerily. Gray ruffled my hair with his hand and kissed my cheek as we waved Sting and Rogue off. "Come on Natsu, I have some good ideas. I mean… remember our date?" I nodded.

"How could I forget something like that? That cute little token…" memories flew through my mind before the sound of the door closing shook me from my reverie. Gray stood with a lewd grin, his arms folding over his chest. "That was just one kiss though, wanna continue that other one?" he said confidently. I walked up to him and planted a little kiss on his lips before pulling him into a close embrace, his arms sliding around my mid-section as my own hands rested on his hips. "I can do more than that if you want me to" I said with a deep, lustful voice. Gray shivered slightly before allowing me to direct him over to the bed.

"I... guess we haven't done it in a while" he said. I laughed.

"Gray, it was two days ago" I said amusedly. Gray rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean" he said. I nodded.

"Of course, I always know what you mean because I always know what you're thinking" I said matter-of-factly, as Gray's legs hit the edge of the bed. Gray chuckled. "Really… well then, what am I thinking now?" he asked me. I smiled darkly at him, pushing him down onto the bed and sitting on top of him.

"That's easy; 'will he use his mouth or his hand?'" I answered cockily. Gray laughed.

"Wrong, I was actually thinking; I'd rather he sucked me off" he replied. I grinned darkly, a mixture of anticipation and desire building inside.

"That can be arranged" I answered, before moving down and kissing Gray's lips, his tongue already pressing against my lower lip as soon as I made contact. _Someone's eager_ I laughed internally in anticipation.

 _Not that I can blame him._

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu was on top of me, leaning down to press his lips hungrily against my own. Already somewhat needy I pressed my tongue to his lips at the contact. He chuckled slightly before opening and sending his own tongue out to fight me for dominance. During their slick, sliding battle our hands roamed over each other's bodies; I felt Natsu hot, muscular skin under my fingers, the feel of his well-built abs, his ass. Natsu stroked a hand through my hair, gripping it tightly as he ran a hand down my front, resting it just above my groin. After a short while of groping and kissing, Natsu pulled off of me, smiling down with a slightly disheveled look to his face now. I smirked; _Fuck, that's hot_ I thought.

He ran his hands along my front, over my chest, before resting them on my shoulders. I smiled up at him lazily, a sheen of lust had enveloped his eyes already. He smirked, a very draconic look to his face, "Get on the bed" he said darkly. There was intense emotion in that statement, intense lust that could not be denied. I obeyed and shivered slightly as I slid up to rest my head on a pillow.

Natsu crawled up the bed with me, laying down beside me and resting a hand on my cheek, the draconic smile on his face. "Do you really want me to suck you, Gray?" he asked, a slight note of care in his voice now. I nodded expectantly.

"Yeah, Natsu. You're mouths fucking amazing, so hot" I said pulling him close to me. Natsu chuckled at the praise.

"Well I do eat fire" he said back, before pulling my head into a kiss. What started as sweet and slower quickly moved into a more heated kiss, our tongue's clashing once more. Eventually I gave in and let Natsu dominate it, his eyes closed as his tongue exploring my mouth greedily as his hand slipped over my chest and abdomen. Unlike before he continued getting lower, until he began needing my hard member through my trousers. I was already shirtless, and my trousers were loose under Natsu's touch. When we finished our second, passionate kiss, we grinned at each other. Natsu was quick to move his hand to my belt, undoing the buckle one handedly as he used the other to help himself shrug off his open waistcoat. I ran my hands over his muscles once more, gripping the waistband of his trousers and tugging them off.

Natsu finished pulling my own trousers completely off, throwing them off the bed, before he stepped off the bed for a second to rid himself of his own trousers. I eyed up his body as he lay down beside me once more, my hand resting on his waist, thumb toying eagerly with the waistband of his underwear. "You really want this?" he said amusedly, predatory eyes trailing down my body, before stalling at my groin. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes… can we-" I was silenced by one last kiss from Natsu, this one short but sweet.

"Of course" the Fire Dragon Slayer said, removing my underwear in one fluid movement of his hand, before standing and removing his own, a cocky smile on his face. _That cocky bastard… but that smile…_ I always loved Natsu's smile, especially like we were right now.

Natsu got down on all fours above me, one hand on each of my wrists, pinning my arms down as his legs held me firm on either side of my thighs. He smiled down at me, before leaving a fluttery kiss on my lips, moving down and kissing along my neck. He let go of my wrists, sliding his hands down each of my arms as his mouth kissed my chest, nipple, abdomen, until it stopped just before reaching my erect cock. For one last moment he locked eyes with me, before grabbing ahold of the base of my cock and flicking his tongue along the lip, lapping hungrily at the slight droplet of pre-cum that had already formed. "Agh…" I moaned instantly, as my entire cock was enveloped by Natsu's hot, wet mouth, his tongue laving hungrily at the tip. Soon he began to pull the cock out, before bobbing his head up and down in a slightly dysfunctional rhythm that quickly began a quick paced motion. "Agh… f-fuck… Na-tsu" I moaned out as the Fire Dragon Slayer began to speed up. I rested a hand on the back of his head, feeling the luscious pink locks between my fingers, as Natsu continued to consume my member. Suddenly he moaned, and I realised he was touching himself at the same time, his hand moving carefully up and down his cock, quick enough to feel good but not enough to make himself come. A twinge of guilt ran through me as I realised that yet again Natsu couldn't do what he really wanted to, however this was quickly washed away with waves of pleasure emanating from my groin. Before my mind was completely lost to the sensations of a blow job an idea struck me; _I've gotta… remember that… for next time…_ I thought, trying to keep the brilliant, new idea in my head before it was lost to my lust.

"Ahhh… Natsu…" I moaned out once more as the pinkette drove me half-mad with the delicious feeling of both his mouth and his tongue working my member. "I'm… gonna… c-cum" I warned. Just like the last time he did this he immediately stopped working his own cock, and instead focused on pushing me over into the abyss of pleasure. "Ahh… N-NATSU!" I came into his mouth, hot spurts of white cum flowing out for him to swallow. He seemed to capture every drop behind his lips, consuming it all and waiting for my orgasm to pass before pulling my quickly wilting member out of his mouth.

He looked up at me with a victorious smile, a slight amount of seed still evident on his lips. "Enjoy that, popsicle?" he asked cockily. I nodded meekly, as he crawled up my body to look at me face-to-face. I leaned in and kissed him, tasting my seed through his intruding tongue. "Of course I did" I replied, tapping his cheek, "Although…" I gestured downwards with my eyes, "I kinda feel bad for not being able to do the same to you" I stated. Natsu shook his head and rested a hand on my cheek.

"You don't need to feel bad, I enjoy doing it to you, and you know I don't expect it in return so it's not like I really care if I can't have a blow job from you. I love you Gray, so as long as you're happy, I don't care about anything else" Natsu said, sincerity clear in his voice, the same old fire flickering in his eyes. I nodded and smiled.

"I know you feel like that, I love you too" I said, "However…" I grinned, "What would you say about if I _could_ do something like that to you, fuck you I mean?"

Natsu gave me a confused expression, however his eyes immediately told me he was hopeful. "Um… I guess that _would_ be great, I mean… I would love to do it with you… but…" he tried to avoid my gaze, a faint blush on his cheeks. _It's amazing how quickly he gets flustered, he goes from a hungry, lustful Dragon, to a little stuttering boy. I love it…_ I thought amusedly, lifting his head to look at me. "I well… I think I _might_ have worked out a way, however I just want to check something. I'll tell you later" I said to him. He smiled warmly and kissed me again.

"Thank you Gray, but why can't you tell me now?" he asked. _Never patient_ I thought.

"As I said, I just want to check something. It'll only be a little wait, okay?" I said. He nodded, before smirking darkly.

"Fine, but for now…" he grinned, eyes gesturing downwards, where he was still hard.

"I thought you might say that" I said, before running a hand through his hair, "Guess I'll just have to kiss you and touch you whilst you do the rest" I added. Natsu added.

"Thank you" he said, before I helped guide his hand downwards, as my other hand slid down his back and grabbed his butt. I charged magic to my hand, and Natsu yelped as a shot of cold ran from his ass along his spine. "W-would you top that" he growled. I chuckled.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see what'd happen" I said, before I groped his ass firmly. "How's this?"

"Better" Natsu said, as he began to stroke his cock.

 _Better? No… what I've got might be even better than this_ I soon began to make a plan of action. _First, I want to ask Sting something about Dragon Slayer mating, since he's already asked us it's fair for me to ask him. Then I might just have to quickly practice it…_ I added to my list of things to do as Natsu began moaning a little from the activity. Hearing that, I switched to focus on him, since he really did deserve to have as much pleasure too for 'helping' me out. _However, this could give him even more, if he wants to that is_ …

/

 **Natsu POV**

Me and Gray each looked into the other's eyes heatedly, our skin slightly slick from activity. "Natsu…" Gray gasped as he continued.

"Gray…" I breathed, "I'm gonna win" I added with a smirk. Both of us were once more doing push-ups on the floor of our building, since our last competition ended prematurely.

"No, you're… not" Gray huffed. I could smell the determination coming off of him, intensified by the sweat over his body. We were both shirtless, staring each other out as we approached our target of four hundred reps. After that we'd just increase it by another hundred as we had already done three times since starting. "I… will…" I panted cockily, although I knew it was all bluster, my arms ached from all the fighting yesterday, and I knew that even if I did win it would just be because Gray was equally as tired as me. After a few more minutes we both reach our limit, rolling over onto our backs as we reached the four hundred mark. "Another hundred?" Gray half-panted, half-asked me.

I shook my head, my hair sticking out at odd angles, but also sticking to my scalp somewhat. This wasn't our first competition of the day. No sooner had we finished our little 'activity' on the bed that morning, we started arguing over who had done more work yesterday, which then ended up as an argument over who was stronger, and so on. After several different shows of strength, I knew neither Gray nor I would be able to last doing another one hundred pushups, so I smirked at him. "How about we just agree we're both strong?" I offered, an unusual show of humility for me, but I was relieved to see Gray agree without a fuss. As I reached a tired arm over and rested it on the Ice wizard's cheek, a knock sounded at the door. "Hey, Gray, Natsu!" a voice barked. I raised my head to the door.

"Er… yeah, what is it Walter?" I asked. Gray sighed, neither of us could be bothered to get up, so he made an icy hand to sneak up and open the door for us. Walter strode in with a grin on his face, looking down at where we both lay on the ground, bodies damp and tired. "What have _you two_ been up to, hmmmmm?" he asked with a sly wink. I frowned at him.

"Nothing like that, we were just doing some pushups. Why are you here?" I stated flatly, not in the mood for his sarcasm now; I just wanted to curl up beside Gray and rest. Walter held up his hands in a mock surrendering motion. "I didn't come looking for a fight, I just wanted to check up on you two, nothing happened from yesterday?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

I shook my head and moved to sit cross-legged beside where Gray continued laying down. "No, I'm fine" I looked to Gray, who smiled.

"Nah, I'm good. The wound you closed up hasn't seemed to do any other damage, so I should be okay" he replied. I smiled contently at hearing that, my protective Dragon Slayer instincts sated hearing those words. Walter nodded in understanding, "That's good to hear" he stated. "Also, Blake's making lunch so you two might want to shower before you come down to the dining hall" he added, moving back towards the door. "After lunch I want to have a little chat with you, and I want to make a deal, sound good?" he asked. I nodded, although I really wanted to ask him what the deal was. Before I could ask Walter left, laughing amusedly.

"I'm not telling you what I want to talk about yet" he called, closing the door. I frowned and looked down at Gray, who rolled his eyes before looking me up and down.

When I met his gaze a huge grin formed on my lips. "Ignore Walter, wanna take a shower together?" he asked me. I nodded enthusiastically, taking his hand to pull him up.

"Of course" I said, pulling him up. _Although I still really want to know what Walter's deal is about..._ I thought carefully, smiling as I led Gray into the bathroom and stripped his trousers off. He did the same to me and we agreed on a warm temperature for the shower water, although I would've preferred it a little warmer I wouldn't complain, so long as Gray was happy. _Plus I get to see him naked_ I thought a little darkly, it hadn't escaped my notice the little glances downwards he was giving me as we rubbed soap over each other, sharing little kisses every time our eyes met. As we toweled off and got changed I noticed that Gray still seemed to be eyeing me up from time to time. _Wonder what's got him all 'fired up'_ I thought confusedly, _maybe he wants another little bit of fun…_

/

Gray and I walked into the dining hall early, there was only Sting and Lucy there currently. "Hey guys" I greeted the pair, who were quietly chatting as we approached.

"Hey lovebirds" Sting replied cockily. I narrowed my eyes at him, _If only I could blurt out about you_ I thought, annoyed at my current inability to speak out. Sting chuckled with Lucy as Gray sat down beside me and kissed my cheek. "Lighten up Natsu, at least that's all they're saying, right?" he whispered to me. I smiled at him and nodded, _I suppose we're lucky that's true_ I reasoned. Gray nodded firmly at me before looking at Sting.

"Hey Sting, can I… err… speak to you later" he said. Sting shrugged.

"Yeah, guess that's fair" he said. I looked at Gray incredulously.

"You wanna speak to Sting, about what?" I whispered quietly to him as Sting resumed his conversation with Lucy. Gray smiled at me.

"It's a surprise, just wait, okay" he said, before laughing at a comment Lucy made that I wasn't particularly paying attention to. Since Gray didn't answer any more of my questions, I decided to wait and see what he would want to go and speak to Sting about.

As the conversation continued, Erza appeared, along with Cyrus. "Hello Natsu, and Gray" she greeted us curtly, smiling slightly as Gray wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hi Erza" he replied calmly. It amazed me how quickly he had been able to shrug off all that secret-keeping to be open about our relationship. _I wonder if that's because he wants to take stuff… further…_ I thought. As Sting began asking Erza about cakes, something to do with a celebration at Sabertooth, I decided to spare a glance at Gray. The Ice mage was sitting quietly, sipping a drink from a pitcher Blake had brought out. _I wonder what he's thinking about_ … _He seems to have been doing a lot of thinking this morning… well, except for when we were arguing…_

As I wondered this Blake appeared, alongside Walter, the pair carrying in lots of food. They placed it down in front of everybody as Rogue appeared and slipped into a space next to Sting. I smirked slightly at how close the two were sitting together, however I tried to keep quiet, since I could understand how important it could be keeping your relationship secret, especially given Sting's position as Guildmaster. "Eat up you guys, after today you'll get one more day or R and R, before I drag your asses back to the guild" Walter commented. Lucy pouted.

"Oh, come on, we fought Hope and those twins, can't we get a little more time off?" she pleaded. I really wanted more time with Gray on the beach, however I also wanted to go back to Magnolia so we could make good on our little agreement too.

 _We defeated four Nightmares; Hope, those twins, and that damned woman, so that means Gray's gotta take me out on a date and get on one knee…_ I thought happily, daydreaming about the scenario vividly as I piled my plate high with food. _Then, if he wants to, we get to be mates…_ I added, smiling at Gray, who smiled back.

/

After eating, Walter approached me as the others laughed and joked about how 'obvious' it should have been that me and Gray were together. "Um Natsu, can I err… talk to you now?" Walter inquired. I looked over my shoulder at him, before turning my head to Gray. The black haired wizard nodded at me, releasing my hand from his grip, since he had insisted on holding it earlier. "Go on, I'll just stay here" he said encouragingly. I complied and followed Walter outside, where he wandered over to the sea shore.

Despite the sun overhead, and the heat, he continued to wear a plain, dark blue suit, with a light, sky-blue shirt. "So what do you want to talk to me about?" I asked him, both curious and worried about what he might say. Walter stood, looking out at the crystal blue water, the waves lapping peacefully onto the sand. Even I had to admit this place was beautiful, and I would regret it if it all was destroyed because of me. "Natsu, I'm not sure but… I think Hope's spell might not have removed all of the Succubus' power from inside of you" he stated flatly, voice calm and level. I took this in weightily.

"But, I thought that Hope…" I floundered for words. Walter nodded.

"Yeah, I thought that too, but there's just something at the back of my mind telling me that something is amiss, and I think it's that" the Requip mage remained very passive in his tone. I tried to mirror his calm demeanor, but failed.

"Does this mean that they'll come after me, or the other's again?" I asked worriedly. _I refuse to let them hurt Gray again._

Walter shook his head. "If I'm correct, then I guess they'll believe the power to be lost, however… I want to be sure" he stated, "I said about making a deal and this is it; I want you to fight me" he added, face stoic. I smiled, taking in the request quickly.

"Just fight you, like… now?" I asked, looking for confirmation. Walter shook his head and smiled.

"No, not now. Now you need to rest, devote your time to restoring your energy, focus on Gray perhaps. When you return to Magnolia, we can arrange it, however there is a catch…" Walter stated. I nodded for him to continue, "If her power is still there I have a means to remove it, however it is exceptionally painful. At the same time, if it isn't I, or more accurately Cyrus, will need to put a block in place to stop her power from hiding inside you again" he explained. I nodded once more, remaining quiet for a moment.

"So basically, either way I've got to have something done to me?" I asked. Walter nodded grimly.

"Both scenarios are going to be painful, at best uncomfortable, however they are necessary. I feel I should also make you aware that they _may_ have side effects, although that is not a given" the Requip mage detailed. Once more I stood quiet.

After a moment I spoke up, "That's fine, I'll do it. So long as it stops them coming after Gray, and everyone else" I said firmly. Walter smiled hearing that declaration.

"Just what I'd expect from you. Anyways, I'll reward you appropriately for your troubles, and you'll still need to hang around Magnolia whilst you remain on guard duty, so you could always invest your time in say… a date with Gray" the teen grinned. I grinned back.

"I've got a little plan already" I stated, which made Walter chuckle and raise his eyebrows.

"Really?" he said incredulously, "That's very… thoughtful of you, not like you normally" he added. I shot him a look as we both began to walk back to the dining hall. "I think I'd like to take you out for a little celebratory drink at a bar I found whilst I was back in Magnolia" Walter said, "I think you'll like it, the owner's son was… well… _interested in me_ , and I think he might give me a few free drinks if I asked really nicely" he added with a sly wink. I chuckled, amused by Walter's antics, as we returned to the dining hall. Gray was still sitting there at the table, a broad smile on his face. Sting and Rogue had left, as had Lucy, however Erza was still there, eating a very tasty looking cake. "Hello again" Gray greeted us. Walter bowed out.

"There you are, your boyfriend returned. I'll leave you now to whatever it is you want to do" Walter grinned, bowing and proudly stomping off to find Blake in the kitchen.

"Where'd Sting and the others go?" I asked Gray, as we both went to leave.

"Oh, they left shortly after you did. I managed to have a little chat with Sting before he left, so that's all done" Gray said, smiling at me. _Damn it, what'd they talk about!_ I cursed inwardly, obviously he had deliberately done that to prevent me from sneaking around and listening in.

"Oh, that's good. Anything I need to know about?" I inquired. Gray shook his head.

"No. Although, Cyrus said we can go to the beach again, if you want to" the Ice mage stated. I shrugged.

"Sounds good to me" I said. _But what about you're talk with Sting…_

Gray smiled. "That's fine, just don't wear yourself out too much, you're supposed to be resting, remember?" he said. I nodded, pouting.

"I could say the same about you, popsicle" I replied, as we entered our building once more.

/

 **General POV**

In the forest overlooking the beach, a small boy lay slumped against a tree. "Damn it" he cursed, all his energy exhausted, he could barely stand up on his own. "I'm the Nightmare of Hope. I break people, destroy entire villages, and yet… I was reduced to this state by pathetic, mere wizards" he spat the words with venom to the air around him. Fueled by anger Hope rose to his feet. "My time-released restoration, and my illusions managed to stop me being killed by the damned star spell… however…" he groaned as he swayed on the spot, "It looks like I might need a new body. Now I'll lose my title as the only undefeated Nightmare".

Gritting his teeth against the intense pain he was feeling Hope struggled through the forest. "Perhaps I'll go for something a little… older… this time" he mumbled to himself as he slowly, very slowly, made his way back to their secret base. "Then I'm gonna get revenge on that damned suit-wearing bastard _and_ that Dragon Slayer" he added, stumbling over a loose root.

"Yeah, I'll get my revenge…" he chuckled darkly as his shaky hands gripped a trunk of a nearby tree for support.

In his current condition the Nightmare estimated he'd be able to reach the base in a week at least, perhaps longer, then it'd take another week or so to be fully restored. "Plenty of time to plan things out" he smirked, making his way carefully through the trees.

"How sweet it'll be, to see those who beat me dead" Hope laughed. "How sweet indeed".

 **Chapter 27 End**

 **Next Chapter; An Ice Surprise**


	28. Chapter 28 - An Ice Surprise

**Chapter 28 – An Ice Surprise**

 **Natsu POV**

"Graaaay, stop grabbing ahold of me like that" I whined, trying to push he Ice mage from wrapping his arms around me whilst we were walking out of the dining hall. "But you're so warm Natsu" Gray complained back, giggling a little. Since waking up together this morning in the dining room a lot had happened. Walter had fixed the entire site in one fell swoop, Gray and I had advised Sting and Rogue about mating, and then Walter had given me that mysterious little request to fight him. Then, to top it all off, Gray had some kind of secret meeting with Sting and wasn't telling me what it was about.

When Walter had offered us all some expensive beer from the nearby town which he had 'fetched' using his Swift magic earlier, I had thought it might make Gray talk to me about what he had said to Sting, however I was wrong. Really wrong. The more alcohol I gave to my dark haired Ice mage, the more clingy and whiney he got. Once I had grown bored enough of all his groping and kissing and prodding and poking I decided to drag him back to the apartment with me. _Perhaps he'll talk more when we're alone_ I thought hopefully, as I fumbled to unlock the door whilst Gray continued laughing at some little joke he had cracked to himself. I sighed and dragged him inside with me, ordering him to sit on the bed. "You know, you were more fun drunk when we were at the guild and you _couldn't_ harass me" I said to him. Gray just smiled.

"Mayyyybe, but at least…. we _can_ do it here, right?" he replied in a mildly slurred tone. I shook my head and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Just get ready for bed" I sighed. Whilst I had been focused on getting Gray drunk, I had not actually done much drinking myself and all I felt was a slight buzz. Gray pouted and lay down kicking off his shoes and stripping down to his underwear. Surprisingly he did just get into bed, without any fuss. I lay down beside him and pulled the blankets over the top of our semi-naked forms. Once that was done I felt Gray curl up beside me, resting his head on my arm. "Do you…wanna dooo something, Natsuuu?" he said.

I shook my head. "No Gray, you know we can't. Just get some sleep and then if you want… maybe we could _do_ _something_ tomorrow morning" I replied, running a hand through Gray's hair.

"Okay, but first I kind of…. Oh, nevvver mind" Gray said, voice already sleepy.

"You kind of what, Gray?" I asked, suddenly acutely aware that he might let me in on that secret he was clearly keeping from me. Gray shook his head, brushing my chest with his dark locks. "I said never mind" he stated. I rolled my eyes and kissed the back of his head, taking in his scent as I did so.

"Okay then, good night" I stated caringly. Gray didn't reply as he had already settled into a steady sleep-rhythm of breathing. Smirking to myself I closed my eyes and went to sleep, with only one last thought running through my head. _Whatever his secret is, it's about me_ …

/

 **The next morning**

I woke up slowly, a steady breathing, and heavy weight on my chest. I opened my eyes and groggily took in Gray's sleeping form. "Good morning Ice Princess" I whispered, running a hand gently over his head. Gray mumbled something, but his heart rate told me he was still asleep. I smiled contently to myself, taking note of the time, 8AM. _Later than usual, but it's still early for me_ I thought. As I sat in quiet, only Gray's steady breathing, and the sounds of waves outside to break the silence of the room, a very quiet knock sounded at the door. I frowned and carefully shifted to allow Gray's head to rest on my pillow as I slunk across the room sleepily. _Who the hell could that be?_

I carefully opened the door and stared at the person on the other side. "Yo Natsu" Walter greeted quietly, "I take it Gray's still out for the count" I nodded.

"Yeah, so can you be quiet" I said, already aware that I was standing in only my underwear. Walter looked me up and down.

"Did you have to put those on or…" he grinned at the implication. I scowled and moved to close the door slightly to cover myself.

"No, we didn't do anything last night. Now, if you've not got anything to say…" I made to close the door, however Walter held it open.

"Actually, I came over to give you this. Everyone else has also been given one" he stated, bringing out two small, pale blue pellets. "They're for anyone with a hangover. Blake's only ever got to test them out twice before, both times on me, so he just wanted to see if they'd work on anyone else. You don't need to take them if you don't want to" Walter explained. I took them graciously.

"Er… thanks I guess, so we're just gonna be test subjects?" I inquired. Walter nodded.

"Yup. If there are any side effects, Blake'll deal with them. Or Cyrus, depending on if they're magical or not" Walter added, with a shrug. "Personally, they don't give me any side effects, but that doesn't one hundred percent mean it won't give _you_ or Gray them" he pointed at me. "Speaking of the Devil Boy, I guess you should tell him that Sting says he can talk to him any time, when he wakes up that is".

I nodded, my eyes narrowing on Walter. _Damn it, I still don't know what they talked about last night._ "Okay, thanks for these" I said. Walter bowed.

"Any time" he said, before disappearing in a blur of motion. I rolled my eyes and closed the door. _He always likes to show off and make an exit_ I thought, before taking in Gray splayed out on the bed. I slipped back beside him, and quickly I found the ice mage wrapping his arm around me like a child with a teddy bear. _That is really cute_ I thought, before my thought's drifted back to the question of what he talked to Sting about. "What on Earthland could those two need to talk about me for?" I whispered.

Before I realised it, I noticed Gray stir. "G'morning Natsu" he mumbled, still half asleep, but quickly waking up. "Good morning, sleepy" I replied, smiling but relieved he hadn't seemed to have heard my carelessly voiced comment. Gray stretched his arms and opened his eyes, squinting at the slight light shining through the gaps in the curtains. "What time is it?" he asked me. I smiled.

"Around eight" I stated. Gray took this in and continued staring up at me.

"Okay. When did I go to sleep last night, my head's pounding" he stated next. I smirked.

"I don't really know, I didn't check the time, but it was late" I replied, "You drank a lot" Gray blushed slightly.

"Sorry, did I do anything stupid?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. It wasn't as bad as some of the times at the guild, you were just _really_ clingy and whiney" I said with a mildly amused tone. Gray pouted.

"I can't have been _that_ bad" he said, before flicking his gaze over my shoulder to the bedside table. "What are those pills for?" he asked, noting the little gift Walter had given me before. I chuckled.

"Walter gave me 'em. He said that Blake made them to deal with hangovers. They're um… experiments, but Walter said they should work without side effects" I explained. Gray continued observing the pills, as if waiting for them to explode or something. "I guess there's one for each of us" I added, looking down to meet Gray's stare.

"I think… I might take one" he stated. I shrugged.

"I will too, if you want me to, but I don't really have much of a hangover since I didn't drink much" I stated. Gray sighed, and averted his gaze away from me.

"Fine, I will take it, although you don't need to" he stated. I reached over and took one of the pills, handing it to Gray, who manifested a glass of ice, with a couple of ice-cubes. He looked at me expectantly, and I sighed, picking up the two ice-cubes and melting them into the glass. Gray nodded in thanks and then took the pill and downed the water, allowing the glass to vanish. "Thanks, that's better" he said, before resting his head on his own pillow instead of me. "I think it'll take a few minutes to work, but even if something happens, I know you'll be here to sort it all out, right?" Gray asked me. I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, sure" I said a little distractedly. Gray frowned instantly and I quickly regretted my slightly too-sharp tone. "What's wrong Natsu?" he asked me, "Did I really not do anything bad last night?" I nodded.

"As I said, you were fine" I replied hastily. Gray did not seem convinced.

"So what's wrong?" he asked again. I met his gaze, steeled dark eyes meeting my own. After a moment I decided to give in. "Well… since you said yesterday… I've kind of been wondering about what you said to Sting" I answered. Gray took this in, mind obviously still slightly foggy from sleep and drink, but then smiled.

"It's just a little surprise for you, I can tell you if you want" he said, his voice wavering a little. I shook my head.

"No, it's just a stupid little worry. Tell me when you want to" I said, brushing a hand up along his cheek, making Gray smile.

"That pill's started to work, I can feel my mind getting clearer, and well… I could tell you about that stuff now if you want to, since it's basically just a little idea I had that I needed to ask a Dragon Slayer about" Gray stated. I held his gaze and smirked in anticipation.

"Okay then" I said, "If it's about Dragon Slayer's then… is it about us being mates?" I asked.

Gray nodded. "Yeah. I mean… I know we've got that arrangement, but… I had an idea yesterday, when you sucked me off" he said, with such an adorable blush that it nearly made me kiss him. "I kind of… realised something" he explained, "But it's hard to explain so I thought I'd try to tell you the next time we… you know… _did_ it".

I smirked broadly hearing this. "So you've thought about some kind of sex thing?" I inquired. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if it'd work so I kind of ran it past Sting. He said it should, by the way" Gray continued.

"So what is your idea?" I asked, eagerly awaiting Gray's response, "It's not just some weird obsession you have, is it?".

Gray took a deep breath. "W-well… I kind of thought that, since I can't do anything to you normally without the mating bond forming, there might be a way to do it by stopping you… er… coming" he blushed cutely.

"You wanted to stop me from coming?" I said, confused now.

"Yeah, kind of" Gray said, "What I mean is… I thought that if I used my Ice Make magic to make a erm… well, to help stop you from coming. Then I figured that if I fucked you and you couldn't come whilst I'm inside you then we could have sex without forming a mating bond" Gray said at last. I absorbed everything he said, and then smiled up at him.

"You thought of all that, just so we could have sex?" I couldn't stop the passion from spilling out into my voice. Gray blushed brightly, a colour to rival my own hair.

"W-well… it was just a thought, and since I didn't want to ask you if it'd work directly, I thought that Sting might have some clue. Obviously I didn't tell him what I intended, I just asked him if a Dragon Slayer needed to come to form the bond" Gray babbled. I stopped him with a short kiss.

"Gray, I love the idea, but…" I hesitated, "if you used ice would that not be really… cold" I said. Gray smiled.

"I guess that's true, but it was the only way I could think of stopping you coming" he said dejectedly. I shook my head.

"No, I don't mean that it isn't a good idea, it's just…" I didn't want to ask him, but I felt like I should, since he'd obviously put a lot of thought into this. "If you do make something out of ice could it be… not too big. I mean, could there not be loads of ice" I asked. Gray smirked.

"I thought you might ask something like that, so I sort of… practiced a little whilst you were busy splashing around yesterday on the beach" he said. Hearing this my eyes went wide.

"You really have planned this all out, haven't you?" I said, with surprised tone. Gray nodded, growing a little more confident now.

"I used what I had saw of your cock from the last couple of times you've touched yourself, plus all the showers we've had together to get a rough estimate and then… well…" his confidence shifted again, a new blush forming on his cheeks. "So if you know that now, would you… do you think you'd want to?" he asked, "I mean it doesn't have to be _now_ , but…" he stopped and looked at me, awaiting my response. I smiled warmly.

"I think it's a great idea, I would be fine with you fucking me" I stated. Gray smiled happily and we kissed softly and sweetly. "However… can we do it after breakfast?" I added. Gray nodded.

"I just wanted you to know, even if you never wanted to do it I'd be fine with that" he said. I smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, I'm definitely up for being fucked by _you_ , snowflake" I replied happily.

/

 **A little while later**

Gray sat beside me in the dining hall, a bright smile on his face as he chatted happily with Lucy. "So, um… did you two have any plans for when we get back to Magnolia?" the Celestial wizard prompted. Gray looked to me and I smirked.

"Well… I have _some_ ideas, but what did you have in mind?" I inquired. Lucy shrugged.

"I thought we could all go out for some big celebration or something, to celebrate you not getting caught by Hope" she answered, taking a drink from her cup. I smiled at her.

"Walter's already made the same suggestion" I stated, "He said he knew a bar in town that he could… well… get us some free drinks at" I explained. Lucy nodded and Gray raised an eyebrow.

"When did you two plan all this out?" he asked in a jovial but inquisitive tone.

"Last night, after we talked" I stated plainly. Gray nodded, realising that he wasn't the only one who had been making plans yesterday, although mine were less… sexual. "Anyways, I think me and Gray are gonna take a break and just hang around together. But obviously we'll have to avoid being obvious around the guild" I added, trailing a hand lazily up Gray's bare arm. Lucy smiled happily at us.

"I think it's cute you two are together, but… you know that no one in the guild would make a fuss out of this if you told 'em" she stated. I sighed and looked to Gray with an I-told-you-so shine to my eyes. Gray pouted.

"I just want to do this… slowly" he said. Lucy shrugged and I laughed, pinching his cheek.

"I know you do, but," I leaned in close to his ear so that only he could hear what I whispered, "are you sure about that. It didn't seem like you wanted to move slowly this morning when you talked about how you had imagined us fucking" I grinned wickedly. As I pulled away Gray blushed and Lucy gave us a suspicious look.

"Whatever you just said Natsu, I don't want to hear it" she said firmly. Erza looked over to us, obviously keyed into Lucy's stern tone.

"You two aren't causing a fuss, because you know that even if you _are_ together I'll still knock you around if you try to embarrass us or the guild" the redhead stated. Gray nodded quickly.

"We weren't doing anything, Natsu was just being an idiot" he said hurriedly. I pouted and eyed him carefully.

"Hey, don't pin this all on me, since it was _you_ that suggested that stuff" I barked defensively. Gray grinned at me.

"Enough Natsu, I don't want to hear about your little private conversations" Erza growled. I lowered my head as she turned to resume her conversation with Rogue, who had sat in mild amusement as I was scolded. Walter stood chatting with Sting over at the far corner, the pair giving me an amused look before continuing to talk. Once Erza was suitably distracted I glared at Gray. "Why'd you have to pin it all on me, I thought boyfriends were supposed to protect each other" I said in a mildly sarcastic tone. Gray chuckled.

"Your just annoyed that I chucked you at Erza before you could do the same to me" he mused, Lucy smiling slightly at that statement.

"Oh, fight me popsicle" I barked back. Gray smirked.

"If I did that then I wouldn't get to do _that other thing_ later" he retorted. Lucy chuckled slightly.

"You two don't change" she stated. We both looked at her, before looking at each other.

"Who says I'd let you do it after this?" I added finally, before turning to Lucy, leaving Gray unable to retort something back. "So Luce, have you got any other ideas about stuff to do when we get back to Magnolia?" I asked her, disregarding Gray's slight protest at suddenly being ignored. Lucy held her finger on her chin in a look of thought.

"Well, I did think about going to that new spar that opened up near the bathhouse…" she said, joining in with me, ignoring Gray.

"You guys are both assholes" he muttered, sliding down into his chair as I smiled a slightly victorious smile.

/

As Gray and I left the dining hall, the grumpy Ice mage still continued to sulk and pout at me. "Come on Gray, you're not gonna be like that all day, on the last day we have on the beach?" I said in a slightly mocking tone.

"Shut up, stupid flame breath" he said huffily. "I was just teasing but then you go and ignore me for a whole hour" he added. I smirked.

"You were the one who started it, throwing me at Erza without a care" I reminded him, "And anyways, if you weren't such a grumpy popsicle, you would've just got over it and joined in the conversation" I added. Gray sighed, continuing to sulk.

I smiled warmly at him as I unlocked the door and led him inside our building. We had agreed to spend as much time remaining on the beach as possible, but there was still the _other thing_ we had agreed about too. As I closed the door Gray slumped into the farthest end of the sofa I shook my head and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around him. He tried half-heartedly to shrug me off, however there was no way that little movement was going to deter me. "Are you gonna stop sulking or am I gonna have to _make_ you?" I asked him, trailing a few kisses along his jaw. "Because, you know, we have another hour before we all agreed to go down to the beach for the last time" I added, my voice as sinfully sweet as I could make it. Gray looked at me and I could see the flicker of attraction that passed over his eyes.

"Y-you want to fuck now?" he stuttered. I laughed.

"I knew I could get you to stop pouting" I giggled happily. Gray sighed and rolled his eyes. "But no, I don't want to go _that far_ … yet" I said, a tone of promise in my voice.

Gray cocked his head. "If that's the case then why'd you bring it up?" he said, already knowing that it was just a ploy I made to get him to stop sulking. I tapped his nose and smiled brightly. "Because I wanted to make sure you still knew I was up for it" I replied contently, before stealing quick kiss. As I went to pull away, Gray held my head and pulled us back together. Savoring the lengthened intimacy, I did not resist, and it was only when Gray broke away that I noticed the change in his scent. _He's happy… but surprised? Does he not think I want to do it, or is he afraid of doing it himself?_ I shrugged and decided that if at least he's happy I didn't care either way. Leaning my head on Gray's shoulder I ran my fingers up his chest.

"So if you can do that with your ice, can you make other stuff?" I said without really much thought. Gray blushed instantly.

"You mean… sex stuff?" he inquired. I nodded, enjoying the little embarrassed looks he was giving me. "Well… erm… I guess I could" he answered hesitantly. I nodded.

"Just a thought, it's not like I'm asking you to make some for me" I grinned, a few ideas popping into my head that I stored away for later use… hopefully.

"O-okay…" Gray stammered.

/

 **Gray POV, An hour later**

I strode out of the building, once more clad in plain black swimming trunks, whilst Natsu followed me out. He wore some tighter-fitting, red trunks with a flame pattern around the brim of each leg. We didn't bother locking the door this time, since the threat looming over us all had passed, and now everyone knew our secret me and Natsu both felt more comfortable with people seeing that we shared one bed. "Hey Gray," Natsu tapped my shoulder with a broad smile on his face.

"What?" I asked as we began to make our way down to the beach barefoot. We had debated about what we were going to do today, however after a little bit of making out, we decided to just take things at our own pace. "Race ya!" Natsu called, beginning to surge towards the clear blue. We were first to arrive at the waterside, Natsu jumping into the shallow waves and splashing about stupidly. For a guy who was very near to death two days ago, he looked pretty childish and alive right now. _Not like it can't be said about me too_ I grinned, leaping forward and tackling Natsu underwater. We both splashed happily, submerging and reemerging from the water as we laughed and swam about. Soon our fun was interrupted by a call from the direction of the beach. "Hey guys!" Lucy called out to us. We waved out to her, a little too far out to make out everything she was saying. After a few minutes she went off to sunbathe whilst we grinned at each other. "Should we take a little swim, popsicle?" Natsu asked me. I nodded enthusiastically, growing more attached to that particular nickname, despite knowing he meant it as a teasing insult. "Sure, pyro" I replied. At that we set off; I allowed Natsu to lead the way, as I followed almost directly beside him. I couldn't help but trail my gaze over the distorted form of his muscular body beneath the waves, the hot, slightly tanned skin, the hard, solid muscles. I noticed Natsu look back and shoot me a smile.

"Already checking me out, are ya?" he teased with a cocky tone. I smirked back.

"Of course, it's allowed as long as it's my boyfriend I'm eyeing up" I retorted. Natsu laughed, the most attractive sound to my ears, well… maybe joint with moaning, but it was certainly up there. "I wasn't complaining" Natsu stated, stopping to tread water in front of me, his eyes quickly shifting downwards and back up again, "It's not like I don't do it to you too" he added with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. Anyways, do you actually have a destination in mind for this swim, or are you just seeing how far we can go, since I noticed you went the _opposite_ way to where our little hidden beach is?" I raised my eyebrows expectantly. Natsu giggled.

"I wanted to see what was this way, that's all. I think there must be some exotic fruit or something, since I can sort of smell it…" he added, eyes flickering with mischievousness and hunger. _And once again he's focused on food_ I thought with mild affection mixed with amusement.

"So what kind of fruit do you think it is?" I asked, impressed by his sense of smell once again. Natsu pouted and went to shrug with his arms but then began to sink.

"Omph… ah… bleh…" he complained, as seawater filled his mouth. I couldn't help but laugh at his stupidity. "Ugh, I think I prefer it a little sweeter than salty" he said, as he shot a dark grin at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, I bet you wouldn't complain either way" I stated, causing Natsu to shoot me a huge grin.

"Of course I wouldn't, so long as it's yours!" he beamed. I smiled and then shook my head dismissively.

"Okay, but as I said, what about this 'fruit'?" I queried him, trying to get his mind back on track. Natsu gave a look of thought, sniffing the air slightly.

"Um, it kind of smells like… coconut…" he mused. I laughed.

"That's not really a fruit then, is it?" I giggled. Natsu pouted.

"I said it _smelled_ like coconut, it could be something different" he defended. I nodded.

"Well then, stop guessing and let's go find them" I encouraged. He laughed and turned to start swimming again.

"Okay!" he chuckled.

/

About five minutes later, Natsu and I dragged ourselves onto another small patch of slightly rockier shore. My Fire Dragon Slayer boyfriend was first up, darting towards the edge of the jungle-like forest. He scanned the trees and shrubs, sniffing about like some wild dog, whilst I sat on a particularly flat rock and observed his energetic search.

After a few minutes of searching, Natsu cheered victoriously. "Hey Gray! I've found them!" he called over to me from a couple of meters away. I smiled and wandered over to his new position. He held up his find to me victoriously, and I inspected it.

"Er… Natsu…" I sighed, " _That is not a coconut_ ".

"Sure it is" Natsu stated, "Or at least, it must taste like one, since it literally smells like I'm holding a coconut in my hands right now" he added. I shrugged.

"We'll see later. If you can find any more, we'll walk back the long way and take a few with us to show the others. Walter or Cyrus is bound to know what they are specifically" I instructed the pinkette. Natsu nodded, and the swiveled on the spot, searching for more of his fruity prize.

/

 **A little while later**

We arrived back where the others were all stretched out on the beach, Sting lying next to Rogue, Erza on her own towel and Lucy closer to the water, probably to take a few dips now and then to cool off. As we approached Erza raised her head to watch us. "Where did you two disappear off to?" she asked calmly, with the danger now passed she had no reason to be high strung about our little 'escapades'. I shrugged. "We went off for a little swim and wound up on a beach area a little further up" I replied casually. Erza nodded and then eyed Natsu up. Noting the odd way in which he was carrying the large, rolled up leaf in his arms. Before she could ask what she wanted to, Sting butted in, his eyes alert and scanning. "Did you two find a coconut tree or something, because I can smell a sort of… well, coconut smell?" he questioned us. I looked to Natsu, who smiled broadly.

"Yeah, I could smell something whilst we swam and tracked it down. It's these" he lifted the leaf up to emphasize his point.

"You collected them?" Sting asked. Natsu nodded.

"Yup. But they're… a little weird" he half-explained, making the rest of the group sit up and look at him.

"Weird how?" Lucy inquired to me. I shrugged.

"They're definitely not your normal coconuts" I stated flatly. "Natsu tried eating a little bit of one and said they were fine. I ate a tiny bit and thought so too, but I figured I'd ask Walter" I explained as Natsu lay the leaf out on the ground and rolled it out to reveal its contents. As the fruit 'coconuts' were revealed everyone's eyes went wide. Resting on the leaf were three, round, slightly ovoid, furry pink coconuts. Lucy was the first to stand up and come closer to observe them. "Well… those are… different" she commented, trying to gauge whether they really were coconuts or if this was some sort of prank. Sting was next up, he reached out and tapped one of them, a hollow sound resounding back. "Well they _do_ smell like coconuts, but I can tell they're different. Did they taste normal, or was there something different about them?" he inquired, directing this more at Natsu than me. Natsu grinned.

"They were great. A little sweeter than usual, and inside they didn't really have that milky stuff, but were more like soft juicy fruit, but it still definitely tasted like a coconut" he said, completely unafraid at consuming an unknown food. I would admire his bravery, if I wasn't worried about any side-effects of this.

As they all continued to observe the pink coconuts, I looked up to notice an interesting sight; Walter was approaching the beach casually. Unlike almost every time I had seen him, he wasn't wearing a suit, but was instead clad in slightly too-tight swimming trunks, of a dark blue colour. "Hey guys, what're you all looking at?" he inquired as he joined the group.

"Natsu found some weird coconut thing" Lucy stated, gesturing to me and Natsu, with the pink coconuts still on show atop the giant leaf. I noticed Walter raise an eyebrow.

"Haven't seen those in a while…" he muttered in thought. I gave him an inquisitive look.

"You know what they are then?" I asked him. He nodded and smiled as Cyrus and Blake appeared from in amongst the buildings, the pair making a trail towards us as we spoke to Walter. "Yeah, of course I know what they are, we sort of… created them…" he half-explained, spinning on the spot and making a couple of hand signs to the other two, who began to move slightly faster. " _You_ created them?" I said in surprise, Lucy also showed as much surprise as me, whilst Natsu was too busy muttering something to Sting to reply. Walter nodded at the statement. "Yes, we did. You see…" he began as Cyrus joined up with him, "This place you're now standing in, this little cove, didn't exist on any maps a decade ago. We found it and I instantly insisted on making this our little hide-away" he added. Cyrus read the tone of Walter's statements and smiled.

"Walter was so insistent when he found this place to have it for our own that we couldn't help but join in his interest" Cyrus added, eyes narrowing down on the coconuts, "So we helped make it" he finished.

"You see those two large rock formations, the ones that block this place from the sea…" Walter gestured over to the aforementioned rocky outcrops, encircling the waters, "They were made by Cyrus' Orange Script Earth magic" Walter stated. Natsu's ears pricked up hearing this, and I noticed him eye the brunette up with a challenging stare, one he had given me enough times for me to know instantly what was going through his head. I smiled fondly before looking back to Walter, who smirked fleetingly, noticing our little exchange, "Whist Cyrus created those to protect us from prying eyes in the sea, I used Swift and specific suits to create all the buildings. After that I helped plant trees and bushes everywhere to hide us from sight. Blake whipped up a little something and they all grew instantly, growing and spreading seeds until…" Walter jabbed a thumb towards the nearest patch of jungle-like forest, "Well, _that_ formed" he grinned. We all looked to Blake for a moment, however the dark haired mage shrugged.

DON'T LOOK SO SURPRISED, YOU SEE, THERE WAS A LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE

A PROBLEM

He wrote in the air. Walter nodded and took over again. "Yeah, there was a problem, two in fact. You've seen one already" he raised his eyebrows.

Sting pouted in thought as Rogue sighed. "The bugs Sting, he's talking about the giant bugs" the Shadow Dragon Slayer stated. Walter pointed at Rogue.

"Correct good sir!" he barked, "The growth potion made insects brought here on the plants grow like crazy too. However, that was not the only problem, as I said. The other problem was the fruit trees…" Walter took a deep breath, "I figured adding some fruit trees would help us keep a natural supply of food whilst we're here, however the plan backfired…" he stated.

"Backfired… how?" I asked, suddenly a little more apprehensive. Blake took to answering.

MY POTIONS ARE ALL COMPOSED OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT CHEMICALS AND INGREDIANTS. SOME ARE PLANTS, SOME PARTS OF INSECTS OR OTHER CREATURES, AND SOME EVEN HAVE DEMON PARTICLES, HOWEVER THERE WAS A SIDE EFFECT OF THIS. THE POTION USED TO GROW THE FOREST CONTAINED A LOT OF NUTRIENT-RICH PLANT FIBRES, AND THIS, INFUSED WITH MAGIC, MADE THE TREES GO THROUGH LIFETIMES OF GROWTH IN MERE MINUTES, HOWEVER THEY ALSO ABSORBED THE MAGIC.

"But doesn't everything living have magic?" Erza inquired. Blake nodded.

ALL THINGS LIVING CONTAIN MAGIC, THIS IS TRUE, BUT TO ADD EXTRA MAGIC RESULTED IN CHANGES TO THE PROPERTIES OF BOTH THEIR WOOD AND THEIR FRUIT. SOME BECAME HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, AND WE HAD TO REMOVE THEM OR RISK A FOREST FIRE. OTHERS… WELL THEIR FRUITS CHANGED. THEY GAINED EXTRA… PROPERTIES.

Blake wrote, before looking back to Walter. The Requip mage shrugged and took over again, clearly Blake didn't want to say this next part. "I stumbled across an apple tree one day and tried to pick a fresh apple, however this had an unforeseen effect. Whilst it was lovely and shiny-red on the outside, it was a deep blue colour on the inside, and it tasted super sweet" Walter said tangentially, "Afterwards I began having… weird hallucinations, and Blake had to cure me with some medicine he created. Realising that the fruit had caused this we went around testing the other plants, and found that several were benefitting from the potion, whilst others were toxic, or just plain odd. That pink coconut, which I nicknamed a _coconot_ , falls into the latter" Walter concluded. I looked to Natsu, who just smirked.

"It tasted fine to me" he said. I shook my head and looked at Walter with a measured expression. Walter took this in and nodded to Cyrus.

"Don't worry, it's not poisonous, but urm… there is a side effect to eating it" the Script mage stated.

"A side effect?!" I stated worriedly. Natsu jumped to his feet.

"What's gonna happen to us?" he asked. Walter grinned at our reaction.

"Well… if you've both taken a bite then it's gonna effect both of you quite strongly. I guess you could say it'll be a measure of your… _attraction_ " Walter smirked. I looked to Natsu confusedly, and he reciprocated the expression. Walter chuckled a little darkly, despite everyone else around us looking at us two with confused and worried expressions. "You see, when I ate that one… let's say it has some very _heated_ properties. I suggest you both go to your room, I'll explain it there" Walter stated. _Heated? He doesn't mean… oh no…_ I thought anxiously as we began to head back inside. "Oh, and you guys shouldn't eat it either. Blake'll dispose of them" Walter stated over his shoulder. This did not abate my fear.

/

Once we were inside the room Walter turned to us, the grin that he had been wearing already gone. "Okay, now we're alone I can tell you. Those coconots are infused with a lot of magic, but they're not deadly. Basically, they're very strong… well they basically make you want to fuck everything" he said flatly. "Normally it isn't a problem since as soon as you fuck something it wears off, however… since Natsu's a Dragon Slayer…" Walter trailed off as I stood with an arm wrapped around Natsu. The pinkette looked at me worriedly.

"Err… Gray…" he said unsurely.

"Yeah, I know. We _can't_ fuck" I stated. Walter nodded.

"Whilst I'm sure you two are great together, I'm guessing you aren't ready to be mates yet, hmmm?" the Requip mage asked. I nodded.

"That's true… so is there any other way to remove the effect?" I inquired. Walter shook his head.

"Not that I can work out. Blake couldn't figure out what made it do that, and even masturbating didn't help me really. It only wore off from me when I actually went to the neighboring town and found a cute blond boy to fuck around with. This could be a problem" Walter explained.

"Er… Gray…" Natsu repeated again. I flicked my gaze over to the Dragon Slayer again.

"What is it Natsu?" I asked, before my head whipped around to Walter. "Oh, Natsu ate like nearly a whole one. I only had a bite, does that mean…"

"No. Regardless of how much is eaten, the effects the same" Walter stated, "I thought I'd gotten rid of all those plants bar one, since I kept it _just in case_ " a slight smirked flickered across his face, "I guess you must've found it despite the fact it's all the way around the edge of the forest" Walter mused.

"Er…" Natsu tried to say again. "What about if we _could_ have sex?" he burst out at last. Walter's and my heads both leapt to the Dragon Slayers sudden statement. _If we could have… oh right…_

"You mean the little surprise I planned?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah" he replied, "I mean… if it works then it should be okay, right?" he added. Walter looked between us, his quick mind leading him to one conclusion rapidly. He grinned brightly when he figured it out.

"Oh, so you two have found a way to fuck without Natsu coming, right?" he inquired. We both embarrassedly avoided the blond-tipped teen's gaze, earning us an even more lewd grin. "Well if that's the case then… I guess I'll leave you two to it" he stated, before bowing out, "I'll see you later" he added, disappearing in a blur of motion.

Once we were alone I stood in front of Natsu, our eyes meeting steadily. "Are you sure about this?" I stated. Natsu nodded.

"Yup, I think I said so this morning, didn't I?" he grinned, before leaning in to kiss me.

 **Chapter 28 End**

 **Next Chapter; Time together**


	29. Chapter 29 - Time Together

**Chapter 29 – Time Together**

 **General POV**

Natsu leaned in to kiss Gray, a smile on his face. Their lips connected, and instantly an electric feeling shot through both of them, quickly followed by a growing warmth emanating from the pit of their stomach. "Ergh…" Natsu said as the heat formed; it was intolerable even for him. "Do you feel that Gray, or is it just me?" he inquired. Gary nodded.

"No, I feel it too, guess that's the 'heated' part of those coconuts" the Ice mage smirked.

Natsu grinned brighter. "Guess that means it's already started" he stated, before leaning in again. Gray nodded and smirked slightly before they kissed again. This time they drew the kiss out, their arms tangling around each other's waist as they pulled themselves closer together. Natsu was first to open his mouth, tongue darting out to meet Gray's, as the raven haired wizard opened a few seconds later. "Natsu…" Gray mumbled into the kiss, a shallow fog of lust already settling into his mind from the effects of the magical food. Their tongues collided slowly at first, however they quickly set into a more passionate and frenzied kiss. "Gray…" Natsu moaned as the Fire Dragon Slayer began pushing Gray towards the bed, his strong arms wrapped comfortably around Gray's naked midsection. Gray moved willingly, allowing for his pink-haired boyfriend to hurry things along, however he was equally as aware that _he_ would have to be the one to do all the pushing soon.

Once Gray's legs hit the bed, the two broke apart, each smiling wildly at the other. Gray grinned, looking down to Natsu's red, flame printed swimming trunks, the unmistakable outline of his hard cock easily seen through the fabric. "I'm glad we got inside before you got that _fired up_ " Gray mused, "I don't know what I'd have done if the others saw you hard like that in those trunks. Did you really have to pick such tight ones?" he added. Natsu pouted mockingly.

"I thought it might make you a little more… interested, later. But then this happened and well…" he trailed off. Gray smirked invitingly and shuffled back onto the bed.

"Well I'm _definitely interested_ now" he laughed, the tent in his pants acting as undeniable evidence too. Natsu smiled darkly and crawled onto the edge of the bed, moving slowly up to pin Gray's body beneath him. The two locked eyes and the laughter they had before died quickly as a more predatory look formed in the deep green eyes of the pink haired slayer, the look of an animal. It sent a shiver of pleasure through Gray as the two kissed once more. This kiss was full of passion and lust, intensified greatly due to the effects of the coconot, and left the two breathless. Natsu ground down onto Gray's member, growling intensely at the friction. "Agh…" a moan escaped him. Gray heard the noise, a fantastic sound to his ears, and then decided to take the opportunity to switch things around, before they ended up doing something they might regret.

The raven haired man slipped his hands around the pinkette's hips, before sliding them up Natsu's sides, fingers trailing slightly over the delicious muscles, stopping as they reached his strong, broader shoulders. Natsu trailed kisses along Gray's neck and chest, as the Ice mage slowly slid his hands along each of Natsu's arms, before he quickly flipped the pinkette over onto his back. Natsu, taken by surprise at the sudden reversal, gave a brief look of shock, before a lewd grin twisted his features. "So you're really serious about this?" he said with a velvety and inviting tone. Gray nodded, his dark hair falling down his face as he smiled. "Yes" he replied, before leaning in and stealing a short kiss from Natsu, "I am" he added, before mirroring exactly what the Fire Dragon Slayer had been doing to him; trailing kisses along Natsu's jaw, neck, and chest.

Unlike Natsu, however, Gray aimed lower, moving further down Natsu's body until he reached his chest. Gray shot a sly smirk up at Natsu before kissing down to one of his boyfriend's nipples. Then, carefully and agonizingly slowly, he circled around the quickly hardened bud with his tongue. Natsu moaned and whimpered beautifully. "Gray… good…" he breathed. A flicker of a smirk passed over Gray's lips, before he focused on doing the same to the other bud. "Ah…" Natsu thrust upwards with his hips as Gray taunted him with his mouth. Seeing the action Gray realised how cruel it was to do this, given that Natsu wouldn't be able to come until _after_ he'd pulled out, so he decided to give the Dragon Slayer reprieve from the torture. For now.

Realising the nipple from his mouth, Gray pushed himself up so he was kneeling in front of Natsu, looking down at the Dragon Slayer from above. Natsu looked up, a haze of lust shining clear in his eyes as their pair's gazes met. Gray took in the sight before him; the muscular body of Natsu, the way his legs splayed out, the slight rise and fall of his chest as he tried to keep control of his inner urges. It was perfect, beautiful, and sexy as hell.

After what felt like an age, although was in reality no more than a couple of seconds, Gray leant down and kissed Natsu. The smile was clear on his face as he slid his hand along Natsu's front, stopping with his fingertips just touching the waistband of Natsu's trunks. "Off, now" Gray said commandingly, loving the face the pinkette pulled as he was told what to do; a mixture of love, lust, and of slight annoyance that he wasn't the one that got to say that.

Very quickly Natsu sat up and stripped off his trunks to reveal his throbbing, aching member. Gray smirked down at him as he stripped off his own trunks, before placing a hand to Natsu's chest and pushing him back down onto the bed, before leaning down and trailing kisses along Natsu's jaw to his ear. "How badly do you want this?" Gray whispered huskily, enjoying the little whimpering noise Natsu made as the Ice mage trailed his hand along Natsu's muscular torso, stopping just short of his groin. "I… want you to fuck me Gray…" Natsu replied.

Gray ran a hand along Natsu's cheek, "That wasn't what I asked" he said cockily. Natsu frowned slightly at him, annoyed at being forced to voice his desire. "I… want this… badly, Gray. I _need_ this…" Natsu pleaded. Gray lasted exactly one second, hearing Natsu's pleading tones, before he gave in and kissed Natsu heatedly. As he two kissed Gray trailed his hand lower, grasping Natsu's cock at the base, before running his hand up its length. "God, how I've wanted to touch your cock Natsu" Gray said devilishly. Natsu took the opportunity to grin cockily, trying to regain some of the dominance.

"I'm gonna make you _feel_ all of it, when we finally get around to mating" he stated. Gray pouted.

"Hah, you're the one who's gonna feel it, Dragon Slayer… right now" Gray retorted, giving another tug along Natsu's length.

"Ah…" Natsu let out a slight moan, not used to someone else touching his erection. The noise made Gray even more desperate to fuck the pinkette, however he knew that he had to prepare Natsu first. Deciding not to delay any more, Gray grasped Natsu cock with both hands, fueling the grip with his magic. The Fire Dragon Slayer immediately felt a slight coldness to his boyfriend's touch, and quickly realised what was happening. After a moment Gray retracted his hands, leaving behind a strong, slim band of devil-ice, strong enough not to melt or break during their activity. The Ice mage marveled slightly at his work, the practice he had done paying off well as the band was a perfect fit. "That's… not that cold…" Natsu stated with slight surprise. Gray grinned at the pinkette, the smile of a master craftsman being complimented on his work. "Told ya I'd practiced" he said cockily, "It's made of devil-ice to stop it from melting or breaking, so we don't have to be too gentle or careful… if you don't mind that is" Gray raised an eyebrow questioningly. Natsu sat up and smirked darkly at his dark-haired boyfriend.

"Of course I don't mind, however can we… h-hurry this up a bit… the heat is getting stronger" Natsu stated with an urgency to his voice Gray could not ignore. Gray nodded compliantly, pushing Natsu back down and leaning over to take his mouth once more. Their tongues collided quickly, the heat from the coconots pushing them on, soon Natsu was panting as Gray sat up. The Ice mage stuck his fingers in his mouth, sucking and coating them in saliva. A shot of heated want flew straight to Natsu's member at the sight, his body already anticipating the next move. Gray the bent down and began trailing kisses along Natsu neck, stopping to suck on a particularly soft spot, earning another moan, before moving to attack his true target again. As he did so, he gently eased the first of his fingers into Natsu's tight, warm ass.

"Agh… Gray…" Natsu said as the new sensation was felt in his hole. Gray took the words as encouragement for him to continue and began sliding the lone finger in and out. Once Gray's kisses reach Natsu's nipples once again, the raven haired Ice mage smirked up at the pinkette for a second, before adding another finger. Natsu whimpered a little, as Gray began assaulting the perked bud with his mouth, scissoring his fingers inside the other man's slowly loosening hole.

As Gray began to assault the other nipple he added the third and final finger. Thrusting in and out carefully, but forcefully, he finally withdrew to savor the final moment. Natsu looked sexy as hell, his hair was splayed messily about the pillow, his chest rising and falling slightly arrhythmically, and his legs we straddled by Gray's hips. Gray leaned down and kissed those lips for a final time, before grinning madly. Reaching over to the nightstand he withdrew a bottle of lube. Natsu looked confusedly at the bottle. "When did you…?" he left the question open to Gray.

Gray continued smirking. "Last night, when you finished talking to Walter, before he mentioned the beer and stuff, he pulled me aside, remember…" he replied. Natsu nodded, the fog of lust slowing his brain functions down. Once his mind caught up, his eyes widened slightly. "Walter gave you it?" he questioned. Gray nodded.

"Yup. He said we should 'enjoy ourselves'" Gray grinned. Natsu smirked lewdly hearing this.

"Well then… stop talking and… use it" he breathed a challenge. Gray flipped the lid and squirted the liquid onto his cock.

"If that's what my Dragon wants" he said, before adding a little to Natsu's prepped hole. Natsu mewled slightly at the feeling of cool liquid being applied, however those noises were quickly silenced as Gray lined his cock up. "Ready?" he asked, wanting confirmation. Natsu nodded hastily.

"Yes… please… fuck me" Natsu replied. Those were the exact words Gray wanted to hear. Sparing no more time Gray thrust his entire length into Natsu's ass. "Ahh…" Natsu groaned as he was stretched by Gray's length. The Ice mage stopped once he was seated fully inside of him. "N-Natsu… are you alright?" he asked warily, worried that doing it all in one go might have been too much. Natsu noted his concern, however he grinned brightly.

"I'm fine… you can move. I l-like… it" Natsu reassured him. Gray nodded and began pulling out, only to thrust back in, quickly forming a steady rhythm. Once Gray was sure Natsu was okay, and was himself feeling pleasure overtake his system, he began to angle his thrusts. "Ah… Gray… ah… Gray…" Natsu moaned rhythmically, feeling pleasure from every thrust, but unable to come, his cock desperate in its icy confinement.

"Natsu… Natsu…" Gray moaned back, "Fuck… f-fuck you're so tight" he added. Natsu was too lost to reply to the comment. Then suddenly the Fire Dragon Slayer's back arched up.

"GRAY!" he moaned loudly, "Fu-fuck… there, do it… there" he breathed, as Gray's cock brushed up against his prostate. The Ice mage smirked darkly, loving the rude, begging tone in Natsu voice, and he began angling his thrusts to pound down on the pinkette's spot with all the force he could muster.

Eventually Gray began to feel his release near. Normally, he would have expected Natsu to have come by now, and judging by his moans the pinkette was most certainly close to his orgasm, however the devil-ice band prevented him from achieving the peak of his pleasure. "Natsu… I'm gonna… come" Gray warned. Natsu moaned something incomprehensible, which Gray took to mean he was okay with that. "Fuck… coming" Gray added, before releasing his load into Natsu's ass.

He waited for his orgasm to subside, before next looking at Natsu. As their eyes met, the Ice mage needed no explanation from Natsu, no request; mustering whatever energy he had left Gray pulled out, and off of Natsu, before releasing his magic, the band dissipating. Natsu's hand flew to his cock and after only two strokes he came in hot spurts over himself. Gray watched the marvel with satisfaction; not only had they beaten the coconot's power, but they had managed to have sex without forming a bond. Gray's idea worked.

/

Once Natsu's orgasm subsided Gray wandered over to the bathroom and found a spare towel, throwing it to the Dragon Slayer, who used it to lazily wipe up the come from his chest. Gray took the soiled towel and set it aside, before joining Natsu on the bed. He slipped the blankets from under them and used it to cover their naked forms. As Gray slid down to Natsu's eye-level, the pinkette smiled. "That was amazing, Gray" he stated happily. Gray nodded.

"I'm just glad it worked" the Ice mage admitted. "Even with the practice, I wasn't totally sure if it would work. But it seemed to be okay" he added.

Natsu nodded and leaned in for a quick kiss. "It was totally okay. It was better than okay too…" Natsu stated, before letting a slight yawn escape him, "But…"

Gray smiled warmly. "Let me guess, you're tired, right?" he said fondly. Natsu nodded, snuggling up to Gray's body, his own body heat washing over the Ice mage comfortingly, lulling him into a comfortable stillness, both internally and externally. "Can we just… sleep here for a bit?" Natsu asked, his voice already heavy with fatigue. Gray nodded.

"Of course, I'm sure the others won't mind spending the day without us" the raven head stated. Natsu sighed contently, before he fell into a relaxed slumber. Gray closed his eyes, and let the scent of the one he loved quiet his mind too. After a few minutes the pair were both asleep, dozing as the afternoon light shone outside.

/

 **A little while later**

Walter knocked quietly on the door to Natsu and Gray's room. After a few minutes and no response, the Requip mage grinned, opening the unlocked door and sneaking inside. He carefully closed the door, but not fully, just in case they were asleep and the noise would awaken them. Sneaking further inside Walter couldn't help the broad smile that warped his mouth as he took in the sight at the bed; Natsu was cuddling Gray, the pink haired man's head resting on his boyfriend's bare chest. They were mostly covered by blankets, only Natsu's foot poking out of one side, although Gray's chest was visible too. "Looks like someone had a fun time…" Walter whispered to himself, "Although I guess that might've been down to a little lie, masturbating would've done the trick too" he added with a cocky grin.

Deciding not to stay, for fear of annoying Natsu and having to deal with his loud, irritating responses later, Walter turned and quietly left the room. Once he was outside he hastily made his way to the dining hall, where four pairs of eyes stared at him upon arrival. "Well, how are they?" Lucy asked slightly impatiently, of everyone here she had most definitely worried the most. Walter held up his hands, palms upwards as a sign for her to be still. "They're fine, just… resting. It looks like it worked. I wouldn't advise anyone go in though, they're… er… sleeping" Walter explained. All of the four wizards visibly showed signs of relief at hearing this. "Additionally, I've confiscated those coconots, and the lone tree which grows them is going to be cordoned off and a warning sign put up so no one goes through this again" Walter added. Erza nodded understandably.

"That's a sensible response, although… I have to wonder why you'd keep a plant such as that around?" she stated. Walter shrugged.

"Let's just say it's for research purposes" he cut the response short, noting how Sting gave him a wry smile and Lucy went slightly pink. It hadn't escaped their notice that earlier Walter had made a lot of… references… to what the true powers of the fruit were. After a few moments of awkward quiet, Cyrus entered, tapping Walter on the shoulder. "Walter, it's time. We need to go get the transports for tomorrow" the Script mage stated flatly. Walter nodded, looking to the group.

"We'll be gone a couple of hours, Blake's in charge, and if Natsu and Gray wake up, just tell 'em me and Cyrus went to prepare some stuff for tomorrow" the Requip mage stated sternly.

"Geez, you sound like our parents or something" Sting sighed, making Walter laugh.

"Yet I'm one of the youngest here" Walter chuckled before turning to Cyrus to go.

"If you're their parent, what does that make me, you're carer, or their grandparent?" Cyrus mused as they left. The statement earned a few low chuckles from the group assembled, however Walter didn't respond, he was already outside, wondering if there would be anyway he could get some 'supplies' for Gray and Natsu, without Cyrus giving him a lecture. The younger boy rolled his eyes, already anticipating the dark-haired teens thoughts from one look at his face.

"No" the brunette stated before preparing his spell, flowing script being scrawled into the air. Walter pouted.

"Oh come on, you didn't even hear my idea yet" he stated.

"Go on then" Cyrus began with a note of boredom.

"Well…" Walter started.

"No." Cyrus said abruptly, cutting him off, before finishing the spell and needing Walter to activate his Swift magic. Walter sighed and complied with Cyrus' wishes. In a blur motion the two vanished into thin air.

/

 **Natsu's POV, sometime later**

We awoke a few hours later. I had my head resting on Gray's chest, and as soon as I was awake I noted the fingers softly trailing through my hair. "Good afternoon" Gray said brightly. I looked up and saw his beautiful, smiling face.

"Hey" I mumbled quietly, a touch of grogginess still playing with my mind. I could clearly remember what had happened before I went to sleep, and seeing Gray beaming at me made me realise the dull ache I could feel somewhere around the base of my spine. I felt Gray's other hand slide up my chest. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked me, "I didn't… hurt you. I'm sorry if I did…" he added. I shook my head and turned around so I could lie on his shoulder but still see his face. "I'm okay. I feel a little… ache… but it's nothing bad. In fact, it kinda makes me happy, like a reminder that we _actually_ did that" I replied. Gray chuckled softly, fingers still trailing haphazardly through my hair. "That's okay then… I just…" he stopped. I smirked.

"You just were afraid I didn't like it and wouldn't want to do it again?" I offered. Gray snorted.

"Yeah, something like that" he agreed, leaning down and resting his head against mine. "I knew you'd be okay, but I still worry" he added. I laughed.

"I know you do, stupid" I giggled. Gray slapped me playfully on the chest.

"Like you have the right to call anyone stupid. You ate a strange fruit without knowing anything about it, and that worked out well, didn't it?" the Ice mage mused. I grinned.

"It _did_ work out well. I got to have sex with you, Gray" I pointed out, causing Gray to sigh.

"Damn… I suppose you have a point" he debated.

"Is that the first time you admit I'm right?" I laughed. Gray gave me a you're-still-stupid look, before smirking. "Well… we coulda still fucked anyways, it's just your stupidity made us do it sooner" he stated. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose so" I admitted, wrapping an arm around Gray's bare body.

"Now who's admitting their wrong?" Gray laughed. I shrugged once more.

"I never said you were right, I just said that I agree with you" I replied, before sniffing the air. Gray looked at me confusedly. "What's wrong Natsu?" he asked. I analysed the room for a moment before answering. "I think… Walter was here, earlier… he must've come to check that we were okay" I said slowly. Gray frowned.

"That pervy little…" he stopped as I smirked up at him. "What?" Gray asked me flatly.

"Nothing, I just think it's cute that you're worried about someone having snuck into our room whilst we're sleeping" I stated. Gray cocked his head.

"Of course it creeps me out, are you not?" he asked. I laughed.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I _am_ gonna punch that kid when I get the chance next, no one sneaks into _our_ room and sees _my_ boyfriend naked except _me_ " I declared. This made Gray chuckle lowly.

"I love it when you get protective Natsu" he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said me getting overprotective annoys you?" I inquired. Gray continued smiling.

" _Over_ protective, yes, but stuff like this is just fine" he stated, before looking over to the clock, "Although, I guess it's getting pretty late. If we want to spend any more time on the beach, then I guess we should get up and find the others…" Gray thought aloud. I held him tightly, stopping the Ice mage from sitting up. "Just lie here for a few more minutes?" Gray asked, anticipating my thoughts.

I nodded, burying my face into Gray's shoulder. The dark haired wizard patted the back of my head softly. "Alright Natsu, we can stay here a bit longer, but not too long" he agreed, lying back down. I smiled contently, as Gray's scent filled my nostrils, and as Gray's arm wrapped itself around my shoulders. Faintly another scent mixed with the delicious scent of pine-snow that Gray gave off, a slightly salty, slightly gritting smell. Realisation hit me quickly; we had forgotten to shower before we fucked, the bed had sand and salt stuck to it. "Er… Gray…" I said quietly. The Ice mage looked to me. "What is it, Natsu?" he inquired nonchalantly.

"We… er… forgot to shower before we… you know… didn't we?" I sought confirmation. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, why?" he asked, still obviously not realising. I rolled my eyes.

"Because… well… there's sand and salt from the sea in our bed, I can smell it" I stated. Gray sighed.

"Fuck, that's going to be annoying to get rid of" he stated. I nodded despairingly; I hate sand.

/

 **A little while later**

Gray and I left the apartment in mixed spirits. After realising that the bed now had lots of little, annoying particles of sand in it, we felt less comfortable laying together, and increasingly wanted to leave. Eventually we decided to shower, mostly because I insisted, as now that I had noticed it, I grew increasingly more annoyed by the flinty, salty smell that was clinging to our bodies, mixed in with the scent of sweat and sex that was also present. Getting out we each got changed into some new trunks, me with some looser fitting dark red trunks, and Gray with some new, deep blue ones. After that we each put our sandals on and made our way outside.

Opening the door, we realised that it was unlocked, and then debated as to whether we had locked it before we _did it_ , however we honestly couldn't remember, and just decided that we would ask Walter later. I used my nose to locate the others, and found them all sitting on a wooden bench outside, on a grassy patch near to the shore. "Hey guys, feeling better?" Lucy asked as we approached. The others all turned to look at us, Sting and Rogue each smirking privately, whilst Erza seemed to be surveying us for any changes. We both grinned brightly.

"Yeah, we're okay now, we kind of… slept it off" I stated, flicking my gaze to Gray. I noticed Lucy's cheeks turn a very faint pink, and I realised that Erza was avoiding looking at us too. _Do they know what that coconot did to us?_ I thought in sudden realisation, _Was Walter telling them whilst we were… oh god…_ I felt a wave of embarrassment flood me, however it quickly passed. _Who cares if they know, I don't_ I decided, moving to take a seat next to Sting, whilst Gray sat opposite me, beside Erza. "Oh, do you two want to…?" Sting trailed off, "Because I can move" he added. Gray shook his head.

"No, we're fine. I don't need to be next to Natsu every single second you know" he replied. Sting shrugged looked to me. I smiled at him, unsure of how to respond myself. After a moment we all turned to look at each other. "So what… we're you guys doing out here then?" I asked, trying to get a conversation going again. This failed as no one answered, I even noted that they all tried to look away from me and Gray, sitting on the edge of the bench. "What? What's going on?" I pushed, eyeing them each individually. Sting was the first to muster up the courage to speak.

"Well… we were just planning something, and then you guys showed up" the White Dragon Slayer said, unhelpfully. I looked to Gray, who shrugged.

"Was it about us?" Gray inquired. Sting looked away again.

"S-sort of" he said, before looking around to Rogue for help. The Shadow Dragon Slayer remained passive, not speaking.

"We can go if you like. I'm guessing this was supposed to be some kind of surprise for us" I said, Gray nodding in agreement. Lucy sighed.

"Or we could just tell you, and see if you agree" she said. I shook my head and grinned.

"It's fine, me and Gray can go and spend some time together. Although… if it's anything to do with us being together then you really don't have to…" I stated. Lucy looked at us both, and in her eyes I could already see the answer; it wasn't about that. _What are they up to then?_ I thought as I stood. Gray followed me off as Lucy quietly apologised.

"What do you think they're planning?" Gray asked me. I took his hand and shrugged, walking along the edge of the beach, where sand met grass, the forest edge appearing before us. "I guessed it would be about us getting together, but maybe it's about something else, since I could see it in Lucy's eyes" I thought. Gray laughed.

"How come you never say anything about my eyes?" he mused.

I gave him a mockingly confused look. "I always compliment your eyes, Droopy eyes" I stated. Gray pouted.

"That's not a compliment" he retorted. I laughed.

"Sure it is, you have beautiful, droopy eyes, Gray" I continued mocking. Gray sighed and rolled his eyes at me as we walked away. I decided to rest my head on his shoulder as we followed the edge of the forest around to see where it went. _But seriously though, what are they planning?_

/

 **Sting POV**

We all watched the retreating forms of Natsu and Gray. Once I deemed them to be out of earshot we continued our conversation. "So are we agreed that we're gonna throw a party tonight?" Lucy asked. I nodded.

"Walter was talking about it before, he was going to get drinks and food and stuff when he went with Cyrus to get the Magic Mobiles. I think we should use this as an opportunity to get some gossip from Natsu and Gray, since they've refused to tell us _anything_ about their relationship" I smirked. Lucy nodded in vociferous agreement.

"Yeah, I've got a few ideas that might make 'em talk" she grinned wickedly. Erza sat smiling equally as evilly.

"If we can, we should get them to tell us how serious they are, since they try to make it out like this is just a small little thing, but I think they're trying to hide something from us" the redhead stated. Hearing this I flicked my gaze over to Rogue, who nodded slightly at me. _I know, we can't tell 'em about the whole mates thing, that's for Natsu and Gray to decide_ I thought silently. The two girls continued voicing a few ideas about how to get all the information they wanted, completely disregarding how private some of it was. All the while me and Rogue watched and debated quietly about whether this was a good idea or not. _Although, I would like to know more too… just as a Dragon Slayer of course_ I thought.

/

 **Gray POV, that night**

Natsu and I got changed into our final set of clothes for the trip. The others had told us to meet them outside, near the beach. Natsu, still confused about what was going on was highly suspicious, as he put the red dress shirt on and buttoned it up. I was already changed into my blue shirt, and was busy locating and putting on my shoes. Once I was done and sat down on the sofa and watched as my still half-naked boyfriend got ready, guessing as he did so. "It could be a party, or they could be playing some kind of trick on us" he said, not for the first time. I sighed.

"Natsu, there's no point worrying. They might as us a few questions, yes, but we don't _have_ to answer" I said, exasperated now with my boyfriend's worries.

Natsu pouted. "But you know what Erza and Lucy are like, they'll ask really bad questions, and I am _not_ telling them about any of that mate's stuff" the Fire Dragon Slayer stated. I nodded and smiled as he put on his shoes and moved to sit beside me. "Besides, I haven't… told you yet" he added. I smirked and ran a hand through his soft, pink hair.

"You don't need to tell them about that stuff, and you don't need to worry about telling me yet either. After all, it doesn't matter until _after_ we get back to Magnolia, right?" I asked him. Natsu nodded and smiled.

"Thanks Gray, I promise I will tell you about it all, it's just…" he faltered.

"You need more time, it's okay I get it" I said, before leaning in. Natsu closed the gap and kissed me sweetly, before a knock sounded at the door. "Hey Natsu, Gray!" a call sounded out.

I sighed, _every time_ I thought, annoyed. "Okay, Sting, we'll be out in a minute" I called, hearing the slight sniggering of the blonde on the other side of the door.

"Fine, I'll tell the others" he called back, before disappearing off to wherever the others were. I noticed Natsu grinning at me. "Every time. I think he's just outside waiting until he can tell we're kissing or something" the pinkette commented. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, either that or he's got the worst timing ever" I agreed. Natsu giggled.

"Come on, we don't wanna be late for the last night here" he said, standing up and offering me his hand. I took it and held it firm, interlocking our fingers. Natsu looked down at our clasped hands. "This'll be the last time I can do this in front of people" he said. I nodded, wrapping my free hand around his shoulder and giving him a quick kiss.

"Yeah, but only for a little while" I stated. Natsu nodded and then we both made to leave. Exiting the building we were greeted by the smiling faces of Lucy and Sting.

"Wow, you two actually left without doing anything" Sting stated in an amused tone.

"You were waiting for us?" I said in surprise. Lucy smiled evilly.

"Yeah, we didn't want to ruin the surprise" she stated. Natsu and I shared a look, before eyeing up the Celestial wizard.

"What surprise?" we said in unison. Lucy almost laughed.

"Come on, let's go" she said, swiftly turning with Sting and marching off towards the beach area. We both followed in anticipation, eagerly awaiting what was to come.

Once we saw the table laid out with food, the cans of beer and other alcoholic drinks, and the unlit fire pit, it hit us quickly. "It's a party" Lucy stated, "For our last night here" she added.

Natsu smiled and looked directly at me. "I told you so" he said cockily. _Damn that's sexy_ I thought, as we looked on at the scene before us.

Once Erza and Walter arrived the party officially began, and quickly everyone began having a good time. Cyrus used his magic to produce some kind of screen which allowed us to play music we wanted, whilst Blake kept all the food topped up. Natsu lit the fire pit once it got dark and soon everyone was happily dancing, the fire illuminating the area in a calming orange hue, and each person glowing with an alcoholic buzz. It wasn't until Lucy had all of us sit around in a circle, that me and Natsu began to get uneasy.

"Come on guys" she called to everyone, "Let's play a couple of games" she grinned, taking out an empty glass bottle. "First up, truth of dare".

 _Oh no…_ I thought as I realised the trap, too late to escape. We were gonna _have_ to tell the truth here, especially since Erza's dares were as cruel as her fighting abilities. _Damn it, I should've listened to Natsu_ I added, noting once again the I-told-you-so look the pinkette was giving me.

 _Fuck!_

 **Chapter 29 End**

 **Next Chapter; One plus Two makes Three… or Four?**


	30. Chapter 30 - One Plus Two

**Chapter 30 – One plus Two makes Three… or Four?**

 **Natsu POV**

We were enjoying ourselves, drinking, eating, chatting and laughing. I happily danced with Gray, the two of us making a fool out of ourselves, I know, but it was still great. That was, however, until Lucy cornered me and Gray, an empty bottle in her hands. "Come on guys, let's play a couple of games" she grinned as Erza, Sting and Rogue joined her in sitting cross legged in a sort-of circle, leaving a gap for me and Gray. I looked to Gray, who nodded at me, before sitting down.

"O-okay…" Gray muttered, obviously a little confused by the request, but I could tell he was also thinking the same thing as me. _They're gonna make us play something to get us to tell 'em stuff_ I thought, remembering the multiple warnings I had already given Gray. I sent him a knowing look. _I told you so, idiot_.

"First up, truth or dare" Lucy declared with a giggle. Sting smirked as the blond set the bottle down, hand ready to spin it. I grimaced.

"Do we really have to play this?" I asked. Lucy and Erza nodded, making me sigh dejectedly. _There's no escape if Erza's doing it_ I thought, annoyed at the trap set before me. Suddenly another smiling face appeared, moving to sit between me and Erza. "Truth or dare, right?" Walter asked brightly. I looked at him for a moment before smirking. _I wonder if I can get some answers out of him by playing the game…_ I thought. The teen smiled at me, ruffling a hand through his hair, making the blond tips stick up. "I'll play if you'll let me, just no questions about anything… er… _top secret_ " the Requip mage stated. Lucy nodded, she clearly had the same idea as me.

"Okay, that's fine, right guys?" she asked the group. Everyone nodded along, and the teen sat back, supporting himself on his arms as Lucy did the first spin. It landed on Sting.

"Sting's first then, truth or dare?" Lucy asked the Sabertooth Guildmaster. Sting pouted for a moment before grinning, "Truth, I guess" he stated. Lucy smirked evilly.

"Are you going out with anyone?" she asked. I noticed Gray give me a small smile as the blond answered. "Yeah, I am… sort of" he stated. Lucy smiled, accepting the answer.

"Then I guess it's your turn to spin the bottle" she said. Sting smiled as he took hold of the bottle base and spun it forcefully. It took a few moments for it to stop, and when it did it landed directly on Erza. The redhead looked at the bottle, before raising her head to eye Sting up. "Truth" she stated, before ever being asked the question. Sting shrugged and gave his usual smile.

"Is the rumor about you and Jellal being together true?" Sting asked casually. The redhead rose an eyebrow at the question.

"What rumor?" she stated flatly, amusingly unaware of all the little stories that had been circulating around her and the former council member. Sting remained smiling, although from his scent I could tell he had a brief moment of panic. "Well… there's some people who've been saying that you two are together, or at least that you two have kissed and stuff" the White Dragon Slayer quickly explained. Erza frowned for a moment, before shrugging. I stopped holding my breath as she replied. "If that's it, then I suppose there is _some_ truth" she admitted. Sting nodded and visibly looked relieved. "It's my turn to spin now" she added a moment later. Sting waved her on, and she took the bottle, spinning it carefully. After three rotations it stopped. On me.

The redhead looked at me with an oddly wicked smile, like the ones she'd give right before she'd punch me. _Oh no_ I thought for a moment. "Natsu" she stated bluntly, I looked her in the eyes. _What is she going to ask if I say truth?_ I wondered. "Truth or dare?".

I glanced at Gray for a moment, who shrugged. _Should I just risk asking for a dare?_ "Erm… t-truth" I fumbled. I felt Gray go rigid beside me. _Hopefully she'll just ask something small…_

"Okay. When, exactly, did you and Gray tell each other you were… well… gay?" she asked. I remained passive for a moment, moving over towards the Ice mage beside me a little. "We… er… sort of told each other after you all helped save me from that castle tower" I stated. Erza took the information in, before glancing to Gray.

"So you've been together for a little while then?" she asked. I nodded, wrapping an arm around Gray's waist. _If I'm gonna get interrogated I'm taking him with me_ I thought slightly self-centrally. Erza smiled contentedly, a look I had now seen a few times since we'd arrived at the beach, but still it unnerved me some. "You're being truthful, so it's your turn to spin now" she said. I bowed my head in thanks and took the bottle, spinning it excitedly. It landed somewhere between Gray and Rogue, with both edging slightly out of the way. I rolled my eyes at Gray and sighed. "You know I wouldn't have done anything bad to you, right Gray?" I said mockingly. Gray smirked.

"I know you pinkie, you woulda done something to make me look like an idiot" he disagreed. I smiled at him.

"Yeah probably" I admitted cheerily, taking the bottle and spinning it again. This time it landed undeniably on Lucy. The blond looked up frantically, and I grinned wickedly. "What's it gonna be Lucy?" I asked.

Lucy pouted. "No fair, you're gonna do something bad either way" she complained. I shrugged.

"Maybe, but it wasn't _me_ that suggested to play this game" I stated with a devilish look. Gray pulled me a little tighter. "He's got a pont there Lucy. Just pick" he reinforced. The blond looked exasperated.

"Fine, truth" she said unenthusiastically. I grinned even more devilishly.

"Ha, have you…" I shot a look at Gray, who smirked, "ever slept with Loke?" I finished. Lucy looked in mild shock, before hiding her face in her hands.

"Oh come on, that's not fair, you know that I can't answer that. It'd embarrass me, _and_ my spirits" she whined. I pouted.

"Well if you're not gonna tell the truth then its gonna be a dare, isn't it?" I stated. Lucy shot me a glare. "No. The idea we had was for if a person didn't tell the truth then we'd have to take a shot" she retorted. I shrugged.

"That's fine with me" I grinned. Lucy sighed and looked as Walter produced a bottle, and poured her some in a shot glass. "Here you go, Looocy" he said giddily, obviously enjoying the embarrassed look, and constant mumbling of the Celestial wizard. "I hate you, Natsu" she said, before downing it and handing the glass back to Walter, who nodded at her. "Good girl Lucy" he mused, earning a scornful look from the blond, who then proceeded to take the bottle and spin it. We watched with interest as the bottle landed on Rogue. "Okay, it's me then" Rogue stated, matter-of-factly. I smirked, wondering what Lucy was going to say should he pick truth. "Dare" Rogue stated with a smile to the blond. Lucy smiled darkly, clearly she had anticipated this.

"Are you sure you're not going with truth?" she asked for confirmation. Rogue nodded.

"Yes, it is very boring if everyone picks the same, so I'll pick dare" he said in reply. Lucy smirked.

"Fine then, I dare you to hug Sting until the next time it lands on one of you" she said with an arm fold. Rogue looked a little dumfounded and glanced to his blond guildmate, come Guildmaster. _I wonder if they'll…_ _I mean it shouldn't be too weird for them to do it given that they're already dating or something…_ I thought in vague amusement. I then noticed that Gray had pulled me closer, before resting his head on mine. "That'd be pretty easy for us" he giggled quietly.

"Yeah" I agreed.

"Especially since you two've done more than just _hug_ " Walter whispered to us with a smile, without even glancing over. I sent him an annoyed glare, but he just shrugged it off, the teen seemed to be having fun watching Rogue wrap his arms around Sting's midsection and just stay there awkwardly. "Don't worry Rogue it shouldn't be for too long" Sting reassured him. The blond wasn't displaying as much discomfort as the dark haired Dragon Slayer, and just sat smirking at Lucy confidently. _Hah, cocky as usual. He's lucky that's all she asked Rogue to do to him_ I thought. "So Rogue" Lucy added a moment or two later, "How are you gonna spin the bottle if you can't remove your arms from around Sting?" she laughed. I felt laughter tug at my chest a little and I let out a chuckle. _Damn she's cruel_ I thought. Rogue, however, just shrugged. "Like this" he replied, before a shadow tendril snuck up and flicked at the bottle. Lucy pouted in annoyance, before the bottle landed on the one person we had _all_ been waiting for; Walter.

 _Finally, looks like we might get some info on this cocky little bastard. Or at least get to make fun of him_ I thought, only slightly annoyed that it wasn't me who got to have the fun. The muscular teen just laughed and flicked a hand through his spikey, blond-tipped hair. "Hmm… looks like you all get what you want at last" he said, "However… will I pick _truth_ or _dare?_ " he mused.

We all sat forward in anticipation, Gray lifted his head off of mine and smiled wickedly; from his scent I could tell he was excited, not that I could blame him. I really wanted to find out something about Walter, since even after all this time, and all he'd done for us, he was still an enigma.

/

After an incredibly painful moment of waiting, Walter spoke with a grin. "I think a _dare_ is a fun way to play" he said, directing crescent eyes at us all. Erza sat back quietly, obviously a little annoyed to not get any info on the boy, I just hugged Gray tight. "Hmph, he did that deliberately to annoy us" the Ice mage whispered disappointedly. I shrugged and shot him a wicked smile.

"I've got some ideas for dares if I land on him. What did you expect him to say though, you know what he's like, being such a cocky little bastard?" I asked Gray. The dark haired man laughed.

"You do realise you're describing yourself too Natsu" he said with a fond grin. I just responded with a mock pout.

"Hey, even I said truth, didn't I?" I retorted. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose you did" he agreed, before his eyes fell back onto Rogue. The Shadow Dragon and his blond friend had been discussing something in whispered tones, obviously deciding the best way to punish the Requip mage for making us all wait. After a moment the black haired wizard smiled. "We've decided" he said.

Walter shrugged, standing up. "What do you want me to do then? I haven't got all night" he stated. Rogue deferred to the other Sabertooth wizard, whom he was still hugging around the waist. Sting's usual smile turned into a bright, menacing grin. "We dare you to strip down to your underwear and hold yourself up on only either one leg, or your hands, for three minutes" the White Dragon Slayer declared. I heard his challenge and smiled, eying Gray, who wore a look of mild surprise at the request. Lucy, I noticed, blushed ever so slightly, and Erza seemed equally as surprised as the Celestial wizard. _Well that escalated quickly_ I mused, changing to look over at Walter. The dark-blond haired teen, however, just stood smirking.

"You really that desperate to see me naked?" he said in an amused tone. Sting shrugged.

"Well, you can believe that if you want, but really I just want to see if you've got any embarrassing scars or stuff" he retorted. Walter shrugged.

"Suit yourself, although out of interest you should know that my record for holding myself up on my hands alone is around twenty minutes. I think three should be pretty easy" he remarked, before grinning wildly. "Should I start now?" he added.

Lucy's blush increased slightly, and I could smell the embarrassment she was feeling… but also the interest. _Does she have a thing for Walter?_ I wondered. Before I could pursue the matter, however, Sting nodded for the teen to start, and he responded quite dramatically. Instead of the usual awkwardness there was in these situations (well, for everyone but Gray, I suppose), Walter just clicked his fingers and laughed as all of his clothing, except his underwear as agreed, vanished. "Another useful thing about my magic" he mused, standing in front of us all without any hesitation.

Surprised, but at the same time not, I looked on. I noticed Gray doing the same. " _Your checking him out?"_ I whispered. He looked at me for a second and nodded.

" _Yeah, why, does it make you jealous?"_ he replied with a sly smirk. I shook my head and tickled my fingers at his side to remove the smirk for a moment. " _Of course not, since I'm doing it too"_ I stated. I heard Gray's slight chuckle, before deciding to properly eye up Walter. The teen was muscular, ripped, with a smoothness to his skin that just made even me, with my Dragon Slayer possessiveness, want to touch it. His underwear didn't really hide anything, not with the bulge showing at the front that he didn't even seem to notice. His legs and arms were a perfect match for his body, muscular and solid, promising strength, but also a slight softness. This body, coupled with his slightly rounded, still child-like face, gave an overall cutely attractive impression that even I had to admit _interested_ me. After a minute of a gloating look, Walter decided to shock us all out of our transfixions, and knelt down, before placing his arms in front of his position. "I'll start now" he stated. At that he shifted his body weight to hands and arms and then pushed himself up into a straight handstand. In the new position I could help but observe his broader, strong shoulders. His back arched into a straight groove, but as soon as I looked up I couldn't help but stare a little, as the slightly too-tight underwear revealed his perfect ass. _Damn it, he's hot_ I thought, before glancing over at Gray. The Ice mage was as transfixed as I had been, maybe more so. _Fucking hell, snap out of it you pervy popsicle_ I thought, before a slight twang of jealousy shot through me. I used the arm I had around Gray's waist to pull him close and hold him tightly as my other hand snaked up his chest, stopping at his chin. "Gray…" I whispered. He glanced over to me and I shot him a little look.

"What is it Natsu?" he asked, concerned. I smiled.

"You're staring" I stated, before leaning in and kissing him without permission. Gray arched slightly, before melting into it as he usually did. With my lips pressed against his I could feel the warmth of his body, and we quickly forgot about the half-naked guy holding himself up just beside us. After a moment we pulled away and were greeted by a slight look of pink from Erza, and a big grin from Walter. "Did I bore you?" he asked with a laugh, walking on his hands so he was facing the group forwards, rather than awkwardly from behind. We both blushed slightly, having forgotten that everyone was there, before I realised something; now Walter's bulge was even more fucking obvious, yet he still didn't care. _Overconfident bastard_ I thought.

Once the time was up Walter laughed triumphantly. "Get a good look did you all?" he asked, his eyes wandering over me and Gray with a slight lingering. _He noticed?!_

Still on his hands, Walter walked up to the bottle, and then used his magic to manifest a gun which he grabbed with his feet. Firing off one magical bolt the weapon disappeared and the Requip mage returned to his place beside me, before pushing himself up and landing on his feet, doing a mock bow to the group. "Show off" I mumbled, as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Whew, don't think I'd have to work so hard so soon after fighting Hope" he chuckled as the bottle continued to spin. "Anyways, that was fun, thanks for the interesting challenge" he added with a nod to Sting and Rogue. The two Dragon Slayers gave slightly sour expressions, before they reverted to smiles. "I'm impressed you did that, _and_ spun the bottle" Sting complimented Walter. The teen bowed his head.

"Thank you. Now… Requip" he stated, before changing back into some clothing, although this was different from his last set. Now he sat back down, wearing a purple shirt with the top three buttons undone and his chest clearly visible, as well as some black shorts. He hadn't bothered to put any footwear on, and unusually there was nothing on his hands either. I raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

As the bottle came to a halt it landed on Erza. "Ooh, goodie, the other Requip mage now. So what'll it be this time, red?" Walter asked casually. Erza thought for a moment before smiling.

"Truth" she said, repeating her answer from before. Walter gave a slightly disappointed expression. "Aw, but I had a really good one too. Guess it'll go to the next person I get to choose then" he stated. Erza laughed.

"After last time, I find this interesting to see what other rumors are going around about me" she stated. Walter smirked.

"Well, that's one way to play the game. But anyway… my question's this; have you ever kissed, or done anything _more_ , with someone in your guild?" the teen asked. Erza thought for a moment.

"Kissed, yes, but nothing more" she stated flatly. Walter's eyes went wide, as did my own, Gray's, and Lucy's.

"You kissed someone in the guild?!" we all spluttered.

"Yes, now… it's my turn to spin" Erza cut us all off before we could ask anything further. _I wonder who… Laxus? Bickslow? Mystogan when he was here?_ Different scenarios and people kept flooding into my head, so much so that I missed who the next person to have to do something was, although I think it was Lucy.

As I saw the bottle land on another person, Sting this time, the two Dragon Slayer's sighed in relief as Rogue unraveled his arms from around Sting's waist. "Told you it wouldn't be long Rogue" the Sabertooth Master said. Rogue sighed.

"That _was_ too long, _and_ uncomfortable, my shoulder's aching" he complained. Sting laughed.

"Alright then, now that that's settled, I pick truth" he declared. Lucy and Erza giggled.

"You said you were going out with someone before, who is it?" Lucy asked. Sting blushed visibly at the question.

"W-well… erm… I think… someone needs to pass me a drink" he stammered. I couldn't help the huge smirk that formed on my lips as Sting fumbled around the question. Walter laughed and raised his eyebrows.

"You wanna pass on it then?" the Requip mage asked. Sting nodded and was handed the shot to drink. He downed it and passed the glass back. "That's two people who've passed" Walter commented cheerily. "I wonder how many of you have big bad secrets that you want to keep hidden?"

Sting looked away, as Rogue's face turned stoic. Deciding to spin the bottle and distract everyone Sting reached out. As it spun I watched it carefully, before it landed on Gray. I glanced at the Ice mage, who stared at Sting. "Hmm… truth or dare then, Gray, since you're the only one not having done anything yet" Sting asked. Gray didn't hesitate.

"Truth" he said. Sting shrugged.

"Fine with me. When we talked earlier you and Natsu mentioned that you had an _agreement_ , what is that?" the blond asked with an analytical look. I stared up at Gray, who paused to think of an answer. _Is he gonna tell them we're thinking about being mates I mean… I don't mind but… I felt we should_ be _mates before we tell people_ I thought frantically. Gray, however, gave no indication of fear, his scent and breathing remained calm.

"Our agreement's just a little bet me and Natsu made about who takes who on a date when we get back to Magnolia" Gray answered, telling the truth, but not the whole truth.

"Really?" Sting asked, eyebrow raised quizzically.

"Yeah, we kind of bet on the number of Nightmare's that would get beaten. I won, by the way, since I guessed three" he added, shooting me a smile, which I did not accept, much to his surprise.

"Don't lie, snowflake, _I_ won that bet" I stated, "We beat _four_ Nightmares"

Gray gave a confused look, "Four?" he said puzzled, "We beat three; Hope, and those two others" he stated. I shook my head.

"We also beat the Succubus again" I replied, "She counts too"

Gray rolled his eyes. "She wasn't even fully alive again Natsu" the Ice mage stated.

"Yes she was, she kissed me. Stupid popsicle" I retorted, shuffling a little further away so I could glare at Gray more easily. The Ice mage looked at me with annoyance in his eyes.

"Don't remind me of that, Natsu. Seeing it again was bad enough" he stated, "but regardless, she _wasn't_ alive again, otherwise when we beat Hope she'd still be around" he added. I growled in frustration, until a group of giggles broke our argument.

"And I thought you two being together would _stop_ you fighting" Erza stated. We looked at her, then to Walter.

"An interesting argument though" Walter noted, "However here's another thought; those two Nightmares were just one split into two bodies, so technically at minimum we defeated _two_ Nightmares, meaning neither of you are correct" he analysed. This didn't sway me.

"We defeated four" I stated, huffing and crossing my arms across my chest. Gray sighed.

"If you're that desperate to go out with me, you just have to say you know" he laughed. I eyed him carefully, _He's playing this off like that's the_ only _thing I care about in our little bet_ I thought.

Sting shrugged. "I suppose you are telling the truth then, so it is Gray's turn" the White Dragon Slayer stated. Gray smiled at Sting, before reaching for the bottle. Before he could grab it, however, I jumped forward and snatched up the bottle. Gray sighed. "Don't be such a child Natsu" he stated. I laughed.

"Come and get it then popsicle" I replied. "Or admit that I won that bet" I added. Gray sighed and brought his fist to his palm. I gave a look of surprise, _He's gonna use magic over this_ I thought, before an icy mist enveloped Gray's hands. "Ice Make; Bottle" he stated, a perfect replica of the bottle I was holding being formed out of ice. Gray gave a cocky grin as he set his own ice-bottle down. "Gonna keep playing Natsu, or are you done?" he stated. I sighed and sat down alone.

"Fine. I'll play" I said huffily. Gray laughed and then spun the bottle.

 _That's a problem though; who's gonna admit they lost?_ I thought as the game continued on into the night.

/

 **Gray POV, later that night**

I hugged Natsu close to me, the warmth of his body radiating outwards and wrapping around me, fighting off the night chill. "That was fun, despite all those stupid little questions there wasn't anything _too_ bad" I said to him. Natsu smiled at me.

"Yeah, I guess I was overreacting before" he stated. I smiled, kissing his cheek.

"It's fine. We both overreact sometimes" I replied. Natsu's hand slid along my side in a rubbing motion. "I guess that's true, but…" he looked downwards as we stopped outside our door.

"If you're gonna complain about that little argument we had for our agreement, don't" I said, stopping him before he could even start again. Natsu opened his mouth to retort something, however he stopped mid-sentence.

I sighed and ran a hand softly through his hair. "I don't mean to sound harsh, I love you" I said quietly. Natsu's eyes met mine, and for a brief moment neither of us spoke.

"I love you too Gray, but…" Natsu faltered. "What if we _can't_ agree on it, and then we don't do anything and…" I stopped his lips with my index and middle fingers pressed to them.

"Shhh… I'm not saying that nothing will happen. We couldn't agree before because we were _both_ being stupid" I stated with a smile, "So I've got another proposal" I added. Natsu looked at me suspiciously, although there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked. I smiled warmly.

"Our bet was for either at least three or four Nightmares to be beaten, right?" Natsu nodded so I continued, "That means that if only three is done, I win, but if four or more were beaten then you win" Natsu nodded again, "So how about this, since we can't decide whether we've already beaten three or four we have another bet; I bet that I can defeat Walter in a duel before you can" I declared with a confident grin. _That ought to make him happy, since he's already said he wants to beat Walter anyways_ I thought assuredly.

Natsu grinned back at me, before pulling me in for a quick kiss. As he broke it off, he moved close to my ear. " _Deal. Walter's already asked me to fight him snowflake, so you'll have to be quick_ " the Fire Dragon Slayer whispered. I narrowed my eyes on him.

"He did?" I stated, more annoyed that Natsu neglected to tell me this, instead of the fact that he had agreed knowing he'd have the advantage. Natsu nodded as he spoke again. "Remember when he pulled me aside, back when you said you asked Sting about _that_ " the pinkette inquired. I nodded.

"Yeah, he asked you then?" I stated, looking for confirmation in the deep eyes of my boyfriend.

Natsu nodded once more. "Yup. I didn't want to worry you, but Walter sort of said that there might be a chance some power is left over by the Succubus still, although this is unlikely" he explained. I nodded in understanding.

"Alright… and he thinks he can find it in a fight with you?" I asked. Natsu smirked.

"Yes. Do you still want to make that bet?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow. I smiled greedily at him.

"Yeah, you might fight him, but that doesn't mean you'll win" I said cockily. Natsu shook his head and laughed.

"Just because I've never beaten Erza, doesn't mean I can't beat the crap outta that cocky bastard" Natsu declared. I sighed and went to unlock the door.

"Whatever you say pinkie. However, that's not gonna happen 'till we're back at Magnolia, so until then how about we _enjoy ourselves_ here a little longer?" I said, offering my hand for Natsu to take. The pinkette did, intertwining our fingers as he did so.

"I think you mean, _enjoy each other_ , right?" he laughed as I pulled him inside, laughing with him, a dark grin on my features.

"Don't worry Natsu, I'll make it feel good for you as well, if you're up for it" I said as I went to kiss the Dragon Slayer. Natsu mumbled a 'yes' back, before wrapping his strong arms around me and lifting me over to the bed.

/

 **The next morning**

After another bit of _fun_ , I went to sleep beside Natsu. When I awoke Walter was knocking on our door, telling us to get ready as that morning we would be leaving for Magnolia. Annoyed that we would have to leave this place, but equally as excited to get back, me and Natsu got everything packed, and were quickly on our way to eat our last breakfast before we left.

Standing on the hillside, Cyrus and Walter brought up the two Magic Mobiles they had went and rented from the nearby town yesterday afternoon. Once the two vehicles were positioned, we all set our luggage on board and looked at each other. Sting and Rogue would be going with Cyrus to Sabertooth, whilst the rest of us would head back to Fairy Tail. It seemed like an eternity since we'd lest been at the guild, although in fact it had only be a week or so. The Twin Dragons said their goodbyes to everyone, then, as Erza and Lucy got into the vehicle, me and Natsu stood in front of the pair. "Well… I guess we'll see you later then. Thanks for… erm… helping us out" Sting said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Okay. Thanks for being nice to us despite us… you know…" Natsu said, equally as embarrassed. I wrapped an arm around Natsu and smiled at them.

"They're our friends, idiot, of course they'd have been okay, right guys?" I asked them. Sting nodded.

"Of course we would" he said cheerily, "It would be… weird for us not to be" he added, in a very quiet tone. I smiled broader at them.

"Really though, thanks for everything you did, with fighting, and with everything else. However, can I-" I stopped mid-sentence as Sting smirked at us.

"Don't worry, we won't tell a soul. It's something _you_ guys need to announce, not us" he said confidently, "Ain't that right, Rogue?" Sting added, looking to his companion. The Shadow Dragon Slayer nodded, equally as confidently. "Yeah, Sabertooth's an ally of Fairy Tail, and you two are our friends. We wouldn't ever do something like that to you" the black haired wizard said.

I smiled at Natsu, who turned to them brightly. "Thanks, and I guess we'll say goodbye for now" the pinkette declared, as Cyrus stood behind the two Dragon Slayer's tapping his foot impatiently. Sting and Rogue turned and noted the Script mage.

"Well then… see you around Natsu, Gray" Sting said. Rogue bowed politely.

"Yes. I believe there's going to be a conference to discuss things after all this, so we will be seeing you later" the black haired mage informed us. We laughed as Sting and Rogue turned to clamber into their own vehicle.

"Well… guess we should make tracks too" Walter stated, jumping down from atop our own vehicle. We nodded to him.

"That's fine. What about Blake?" I asked the Requip mage, who smiled.

"He's fine. He'll make his own way back later, after he's done some final… preparations here" Walter stated. We nodded and, after waving Sting and Rogue off, we climbed into our own carriage.

/

After double and triple checking their luggage, Lucy and Erza deemed they 'had everything', and we could finally set off. Natsu sat next to the left window, with me beside him, Lucy and Erza sitting opposite. "Ergh… I forgot how much I hate these things" the pinkette complained already. I sighed.

"You'll be fine, I'm here, okay?" I said to him. Erza smiled at my statement.

"So did you two finally sort out that whole 'bet' business then?" she inquired. I nodded and smirked as Natsu answered.

"Yeah, we have a _new_ arrangement now. One that should be a little more interesting" he stated. Before Erza could asked what it was, however, Walter called out, and the vehicle rocked into motion.

"Alright, enough waiting around. Onwards to Magnolia" he declared with mock boldness. My eyes drifted to the window as the already stricken Dragon Slayer wrapped his arms around me and buried his head into my shoulder.

"Blargh…" he complained. I rubbed his back soothingly.

"There, there" I said mockingly, earning a slight glare from him, before he resumed his whiney position.

/

 **General POV**

Blake stood in the shadow of his own building. Everything had been meticulously prepared last night by him and Cyrus, whilst Walter and the others played their silly games. Once the dark haired mage saw the Twin Dragons say their goodbyes he wandered over to the dining hall, checking the interior. _Yup, nothing left_ he noted to himself.

Walking back outside he checked every room with a critical stare, before returning in time to see Walter set the vehicle in motion, a slight nod in his partner's direction before leaving. _This is it_ they both thought.

With the wizards gone Blake quickly moved about the place. He took out the four small phials he had prepared the night before, and placed one into a holder in each room-building. He then placed a flask in the center of the buildings, before quickly running up the hill to the top.

Pausing a moment to take in the view the mage smiled. _This is it, goodbye…_ he bid farewell to the place he had grown to love quite strongly; then he activated his magic. The flask in the center erupted, spraying a deep crimson liquid everywhere. The liquid was highly volatile, and after only a few seconds it erupted into flames, consuming every building in a miniature inferno. Then the phials went, each building the inferno into a spiraling column of red and orange blaze. Before the flames could spread elsewhere, runes rose up and caught it all in a cube of grey symbols. _Now for the final part, to bury yet another memory we cannot afford_ Blake thought, taking a final flask from his belt. It was heavy, full of a deep green mixture.

Taking off the stopper a great scent of earth and greenery seeped out. The Elixir mage poured the tincture to the ground, before using his magic to send it forwards towards the ocean. Everywhere it touched grass, weeds and even small trees grew. After only a few moments nothing remained of the cove, except the beautiful waves, and slightly sandy soil. It was all gone.

Without remorse, for that was not the way of the Triplet Code, Blake turned on his heal, taking out yet another potion and downing the contents. Imbued with incredible speed, he set out on his own journey back to Magnolia.

Before he left the woods, however, he stopped to carve something into a tree; the symbol of his guild, three squares inside one another, along with the word FORGOTTEN.

With a slight smile he continued on, no one would know what he had done, and not one soul would ever be able to remember the beauty of their cove, except those they had invited there. In some way that made this moment less sad, and in others more; however, Blake didn't care, they were going to die either way.

He, and those he called brothers, were ghosts to be, and memories were something they couldn't afford to keep. Ever.

Not if their goal was to be achieved.

 **Chapter 30 End**

 **Next Chapter; Bar**


	31. Chapter 31 - Bar

**Chapter 31 – Bar**

 **Walter POV**

I paced around my office back in Fairy Tail. It had been nearly a week since the events at the beach hideout, and all had been quiet since then. Blake sat uncomfortably in quiet as Cyrus sat scribbling notes in his little notebook. "What possess you to fill that notebook, even though you're the one who desperately enforces our stupid commandment; 'Leave nothing behind'?" I queried the Script mage. Cyrus looked up from his notes.

"These are not about us, they are insights into those around us, the world in general. You know my reasons for doing them" the brunette stated flatly. I nodded.

"Yes, the will of our Master" he stated.

Cyrus nodded abruptly. "Indeed. Now… when is it you said for Natsu and Gray to come here?" he asked me. I sighed.

"Erm… ten minutes ago" I answered tiredly. The younger brunette was always a stickler for time keeping, and this waiting was clearly annoying him greatly. "Don't worry, they'll show up soon. I think…" I stated.

' _They'd better'_ Blake signed, shooting me a slight smile whilst Cyrus was distracted. I nodded quietly and discreetly, pulling a face at the brunette.

"Stop that Walter, it's not becoming of _anyone_ " the other boy said without looking up this time. I sighed and rolled my eyes, looking past him to the door, willing the Fire Dragon Slayer to show up quicker. _Come on, I thought telling you this was important would be enough to speed you up. Guess I should've got Makarov or Erza to drag them here…_

/

 **Gray POV**

"Hurry up Natsu" I said, trying to push the Dragon Slayer out of the door to my apartment. Natsu grunted, in an annoyed tone.

"I'm going, stop shoving me, Gray" he complained, shrugging on his open-fronted waistcoat. "I'm not like you, I normally wear clothes so I can't get away with just slipping some underwear and pants on, then walk out of the door" he added. I chuckled.

"Don't see why you _couldn't_ get away with it, given how much you're walking around my place naked these days" I laughed. Natsu shot me a deadpan look.

"Not funny Gray. Just because you get to fuck me, doesn't you get to joke about me too" he stated. I raised my eyebrows.

"Well, if you would hurry up to the guild we can go, get the beat down on Walter, and _then_ this'll all be sorted out, won't it?" I retorted flatly. This made Natsu pout in thought before smiling broadly. "If you put it like that… _let's go_ " he said, energetically, grabbing my hand and running full speed towards the guild. I didn't even have time to tell him to let me go, and just had to put up with all the odd looks we got from the people of Magnolia as they saw the two wizards who normally tore everything up and argue run hand in hand towards the guild. I smiled sheepishly at a few faces I recognized, an embarrassed look to my face.

When Natsu turned the corner to the guild he stopped and I jerkily fell into his back. "Watch it Gray!" the pinkette barked, his normal response.

I sighed, instead of rising to the challenge like I would usually, I hit him in the back of the head. "Then don't drag me by the hand, idiot!" I barked quickly, before turning to look ahead. Happy and Lucy were coming from the other direction and spotted us. "Hey guys" the blonde called out waving. I quickly noticed Wendy and Carla appear beside them too.

"Hey you guys" I greeted with a smile. Natsu nodded, panting heavily, the cost from having dragged me through all the streets up to this point catching up with him. "Hey Natsu, Gray" Wendy stated, as Carla flew up beside her.

"Good grief Natsu, you look like such a mess" the white exceed stated with a shake of her head. Wendy smiled diplomatically at Carla, however did not say anything in the pinkette's defense. I smirked at the comment as Natsu stuck his tongue out. Happy giggled, "Did you just wake up Natsu, _because you look like it_ " the cat stated.

Natsu glared at Happy. "Shut it cat. For your information me and Gray were told to meet Walter, and now we're running late" the Dragon Slayer pouted. Lucy raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything.

"Well then, I guess we should be going if we want to make it only ten minutes late, come on Natsu" I stated, trying to avoid the disparaging look of the white exceed at hearing how late we really were. The blonde wizard and the blue haired Dragon Slayer both moved aside and waved us off. "See you later" Lucy called as I walked briskly with Natsu sulking beside me. Once we were some distance away from them I punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey, ignore them, I think you look fine" I grinned, "Besides, don't tell me you used up all that energy just from that little run?" I added with a challenging tone, one I hadn't really had to use against Natsu very much since we had gotten together. The pinkette smirked hearing this. "Of course it wouldn't. I've got _way_ more energy than just that" he stated boldly, "Watch". At that he grabbed my hand again and began running towards the guild once more.

"For… fucks sake… Natsu" I called out as I was dragged away again. "You'll tire yourself out before you've even _begun_ to fight Walter" I warned, however even I knew that was a bold lie. _Nothing ever tires Natsu out, not when there's something he wants_ I thought knowingly, _And I'm pretty sure he wants this._

/

As soon as we entered the guild we were met with a stern look from Makarov. "You're late. Very late" the old man said gruffly. Natsu leapt at the tone.

"S-sorry gramps. It was my fault" the pinkette said quickly. I looked to him with slight surprise. _Not often is it that he apologizes_ I thought, amazed by his reaction. Makarov just nodded. "They're waiting in his little room. You know where it is, right?" we both nodded and hurriedly made our way to the meeting.

Before we could even knock the door opened and Blake appeared, grabbing us both and shoving us inside before closing the door again. No sooner had our eyes adjusted to the dim room, did we find ourselves face-to-face with an irritable Script mage. "You're twelve minutes, fifty-three seconds late" Cyrus stated matter-of-factly.

Natsu bent his head in apology. "I'm… sorry" he stated. I did the same.

"Yeah, me too" I added.

Cyrus sighed and moved for us to sit opposite Walter in the two other seats. "Quit bowing and sit" the Requip mage stated, an oddly tired noise, almost like the tones Makarov used, but coming from someone many decades younger. We did as we were told. "So, are we gonna do the check for her power?" Natsu asked before he had even sat down. Walter looked to me.

"He told you about it then?" the dark haired teen asked me. I shrugged.

"Yeah, you need to check for any remaining power left from the Succubus, right?" I stated. Walter's face frowned slightly.

"Yes… although there's a little more than that" he said. I raised an eyebrow quizzically, urging him to continue, obviously aware that Natsu had neglected some important detail. "Well… you see… It's not that I've got to fight Natsu, but rather that afterwards one of two things will happen" Walter began, "Either, the power _is_ still there, in which case I have the means to remove it, or alternatively, it _isn't_ there, and Cyrus will put a block in place to help prevent this happening again" the Requip mage recounted. I frowned.

"That's it, that doesn't sound so bad" I stated confusedly. Walter shook his head with a withdrawn look.

"That's not all, there's _one_ more detail; both procedures would be exceptionally painful, or at least _very_ uncomfortable, and may have unforeseen side-effects" the teen mage corrected.

I nodded in understanding, before looking to Natsu. "You sure you're okay with this then, because you know that I'll _only_ let this happen if you're willing to do it" I said to him. The pinkette smiled bravely.

"A little pain doesn't frighten me, Gray, you know that. And at least this'll stop me from getting captured again, so you don't have to worry about that in the future" he stated. I nodded and kissed his cheek. "Okay, if you're sure" I said understandingly. _I guess it would help stop anything like_ that _happening again_ I thought, memories of not just the one, but two times that Natsu had been assaulted by the Succubus Nightmare. Walter nodded in my direction, "Do I have Devil Boy's permission then?" he asked smugly. I smiled at him.

"Yeah, on one condition" I stated. He raised an eyebrow and gestured for me to go on. "Heh… If Natsu loses his fight, I fight you next" I declared. Walter smiled and got up, outstretching his hand.

"You, good sir, have yourself a deal" he said. I took his hand and shook it, ignoring the slight, muttered protest given by Natsu. _Hey, I'm here to win to_ I though cunningly, _I'm not that bothered about planning another date, or paying for it even, I just wanna see you get down on one knee and ask me_.

 _Ask me to be your mate…_ The thought drifted through my consciousness as Walter directed us outside.

/

 **General POV**

The Triplet Code, alongside Gray and Natsu, all proceeded through the guild with an air of tension. From their many years' experience, the wizards of Fairy Tail all understood what this meant; a fight. Unlike their usual wizard-on-wizard fights there was no gambling, no celebrating, and most importantly, no one was allowed to watch it. Walter had told Makarov of his intentions, and the old wizard was understandably willing to allow the Requip mage to fight Natsu. As he had expected, the Ice mage had accepted the agreement, and even more predictably, he had wanted to fight the dark-blond wizard too. Nothing had gone on unexpectedly.

The old wizard had issued orders for everyone to remain inside the guildhall, and not to watch the proceedings, outside, however the Code wizards knew that it would be an impossible feat to stop the _whole_ guild from watching, even with the assistance of Mirajane and Erza. That was why the three had spent the early morning, when no other mage was around, preparing the scene.

As the group of five exited the building they quickly made their way over towards the spacious area that was normally used for fight-training. Once there Walter instructed Natsu and Gray where to stand within the barrier, before Cyrus finished off his enchantment, and a wall of grey runes formed around the area. "This will stop anyone from seeing in, and will also prevent your attacks from leaving. In addition to this we cannot leave, however that isn't to say we, that is Gray, me and Blake, will be stuck here whilst Walter and Natsu fight. We will stand over in the box area" the Script mage gestured to a small boxed off area built into the side of the rune wall, "It should be safe from their attacks, so we can watch the fight without worry" the brunette finished. Walter yawned.

"You couldn't have made that explanation any _longer_ could you, Cyrus?" he asked sarcastically. The Script mage rolled his eyes and ignored the comment, as he, Blake, and Gray all assembled within their own private box. Once they were safely inside Walter grinned. "Ready Natsu?" he asked. The pinkette did a few stretches, a bright, wicked grin twisted all over his face. "Yeah, let's get this done. I owe you a few punches for all those times you've been such a cocky asshole" the Dragon Slayer declared. This made Walter smile even more.

"Well then… come at me" he said, his arms wide and welcoming. Natsu smirked, fire dancing in his eyes.

"You sure about that?" he asked, legs already tense and ready to leap. Walter nodded enthusiastically, "Yep, it's not like you could hit me" he stated. Natsu smiled, a primal growl emitted from his throat as he rushed forwards.

"Damned… cocky… bastard" he roared, fire engulfing his fists. Despite the strength of his attacks, and the speed he moved at when boosted with his flames, Walter was left cackling after that attack soared passed and missed him. "Swift; 20 Steps" he declared, "You remember how this works right?" Natsu swiveled in place and faced Walter, who was now a good seven or eight steps away from the pinkette.

"Yeah, you can appear anywhere up to twenty steps away" Natsu said with an annoyed grunt.

Walter's eyes and mouth both formed crescents of amusement. "Correct-o little lizard-o. So, my next question is how do you intend to strike me if you can never reach me?" the Swift-Requip mage stated. Natsu gave a wicked grin at hearing _that_ question.

"Heh… I've been thinking about that" he said with a devilish tone to his voice. Walter raised an eyebrow and gave a mock-surprised look.

"Really, _you've_ been thinking? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" he asked sarcastically. Natsu snorted in frustration, a very animalistic thing for a man to do, yet so very much like him, or at least Gray thought so. "Hmph… I _can_ think you know…" the pinkette whined. Walter laughed, but didn't comment further, instead he intensified the magical aura around his person. "But anyways… I figured that since you can avoid me hitting you for real, I'd just… _hit you everywhere at once_ " the Fire Dragon Slayer grinned. As soon as he finished speaking, a myriad of flames erupted around the muscular Slayer, a spectrum of red, orange, and yellow hues that crackled intensely as more magic was fueled into them. After no more than a second or two a roar sounded out, and a fiery eruption tore outwards from Natsu, surging out only to be stopped by the rune walls around the battlefield. The Dragon Slayer smirked as he retracted his magic, a few choice flames scattered about the ground beneath him. He looked around with critical eyes. "Did I roast him?" he asked, his voice a mixture of question and pre-emptive victory. The pinkette swiveled in place, eyeing up Gray and the other two wizards who sat safely within their box. Natsu smiled as the smell of Gray's Ice-Make magic wafted over to him; clearly the dark haired wizard had used it to defend himself from the blaze despite being securely in the spectator's box. Cyrus' and Blake's faces gave nothing away, and Natsu scowled at them. Glancing over the area again he saw nothing; then he felt a pressure on his leg.

"Gotcha" Walter grinned, head and shoulders poking above the ground.

"Huh?" Natsu grunted in confusion, before he was thrown across ground to lay sprawled as Walter crawled the rest of the way out of the earth.

"Nice try, but I anticipated that you'd try that. As soon as those flames appeared I Requipped" the mage explained, dusting off the brown suit, with dark grey lapels and spikey, mountain shapes along his lighter, cream shirt collar. Natsu noticed the black gloves with gold spikes on the knuckles, recognizing them immediately from the fight he had seen between the mage before him, and the redhead, whose strength he knew too well. "Those gloves…" the pinkette grumbled, leaping back to his feet, and putting some distance between himself and Walter.

"Yes, they're my Titan's gloves. They massively increase the weight of my hands, and my overall strength gets a boost too. Hence why I was so easily able to grab and throw you" Walter said, interpreting Natsu's grumbles. "And this suit is my Lord of the Mountain suit. On top of the ability to use Earth magic to a degree, it also allows me to tunnel around underground" he added with a cocky smile. "Coincidently…"

Natsu gave a puzzled look as Walter's voice drifted off. "What?"

Walter raised a hand and pointed at Natsu, who took a step back, expecting an attack. Suddenly the ground collapsed underneath him, a vast cavernous opening forming. "You might want to watch where you're stepping" Walter said in an amused tone.

"Wha-" Natsu started, trying to avoid falling into the inky blackness behind him, using jets of flames from his hands to propel himself back onto safer, more stable ground.

"Whilst you were busy busting out those flames, I dug around and formed a few pits. Now not only are you facing _me_ , but you're doing it in an arena where the ground could give way at any moment. Oh, and just in case you're wondering I dug them deep enough that you could break an arm or a leg if you fell in, but not so deep that it'd kill you" Walter giggled evilly. Natsu scowled at him, a fire blazing in his eyes as he narrowed his mind down to his target. And the prize he sought.

"Shut up Walter. You haven't won yet" he snarled with a new promise of violence. Walter raised an eyebrow a slight amount at the act.

"Oh, but I will" he stated plainly, "Unless you've got some real reason you wanna beat me then you've got _no_ chance" Walter added with a laugh. Natsu kept his gaze level as he assumed a half-crouched position, one Gray instantly recognized.

"I will beat you!" Natsu roared, before leaping forward, fists furious and glowing brightly aflame. The Fire Dragon Slayer, despite his animalistic speed, was still slower than Walter, and the wizard effortlessly avoided the attack, sidestepping one step, only to appear six steps away. This did not deter Natsu, who swiveled on his foot and went for another leap. Walter, this time, held his hands up to block the attack, golden spikes on his knuckles glowing brightly to show that the magic of his gloves was still active. At the last moment Natsu leapt up and struck out with a flame-coated foot. "Fire Dragon Talon!" he crowed as the attack finally connected. Walter, surprised by the change in tactic, took the attack to his side and was sent skidding along the ground, before recovering by using his hands to slow himself and flip back up to a standing position. "Well… done" he groaned, before smiling wickedly, "You can actually make up some strategy then".

Natsu remained passive, laughing slightly at the newly ragged look to Walter's normally immaculate form. Walter shook his head, "One attack does not a battle win" the Requip mage stated in a lecturing tone, "But I guess I've got no choice, Requip" he added, before changing into a bright red three-piece suit, with gold flame patterns on the lapels, cuffs and shirt collar. "This is my Lord of the Sun suit. It'll completely nullify all the fire attacks you throw at me. Plus…" he cracked his knuckles, drawing Natsu's attention to the new, gold and white gloves he now wore, "With these Barrier gloves, your magic won't work on me anyways" he added.

Natsu growled and assumed the stance once more "Don't be so sure" he said viciously. This response intrigued Walter, "Why are you so desperate to beat me, this ordeal was supposed to be just about finding out if there was any residue magic left in you, not about who wins and who loses" the teen asked. Natsu did not speak, although his eyes flickered to Gray for just a split second. Walter quickly realised that something interesting must be going on with them, and that it had to do with Natsu beating him in this fight. Grinning wildly the Requip mage readied for another bout.

"I'm guessing you're ready to finish this?" he said cockily. Natsu nodded, before charging once more, dodging the pitfall that revealed itself as he ran on. Walter met him head on, fists ready; he would figure out what's going on and _then_ win this fight. No-one _ever_ beat him in a one-on-one fist fight.

Ever.

/

The two wizards dodged left and right as they each sent their fists assailing at the other. Walter spent the entire time grinning, more in his element now than in any of the fights he'd had since coming to Fairy Tail. "You know… I wonder what's got you so worked up over this fight?" the teen stated as he dodged left and tried to strike at Natsu's abdomen, only to stop and dodge at the last second as Natsu shot his knee out to strike him. Natsu didn't reply, so Walter decided to press him for answers. "For something so serious I can only think of two reasons; one's hate, and the other is sitting in that box over there" the Requip mage stated. Natsu blinked and paused for a second, which was quickly regretted as Walter struck him in the side. "Ah, so it _is_ about Gray" the boy smiled. Natsu scowled.

"It's not!" he cried out, sending a flurry of blows against his opponent to keep him quiet.

"It _totally_ is" Walter retorted, using his Swift to get behind Natsu and strike a punch between his shoulder blades. The Dragon Slayer gasped for air as Walter continued, arms folded smugly. "There have been only _two_ occasions I've seen you act like this. Both were to do with Gray, and the most recent was about your little bet. I'm guessing, just guessing, that you're 'new arrangement' was that instead of beating Nightmares, it was about who could beat me first, that was why Gray was so insistent on fighting me" Walter analysed. Gray narrowed his eyes hearing this, memories of that time Walter perfectly guessed his crush when he had only known the mage for a week or so appearing in his mind. The boy showed the same cockiness he did then. "Am I right?" he asked Natsu.

The pinkette sighed and nodded, before assuming a fighting stance. "Just because you _know_ doesn't mean I'm gonna go any easier on you" he stated. Walter rolled his eyes.

"Didn't think so" he said bluntly, moving to a defensive stance. Natsu smiled and charged up his magic. "Fire Dragon Roar" he called out, before flames spewed forth from his mouth, surging onto Walter's position.

Walter laughed as a barrier of pale gold energy formed from his outstretched hands. The flames warped around it perfectly. "My barriers from my Barrier gloves are perfect. Your attacks will not pass through them" he boasted. Natsu ceased his fire attack, and opted to alter his stance, before charging forwards. "Then I'll smash 'em with my fists" he retorted, before suddenly throwing himself left to avoid a pitfall that opened up before him.

"Damn" Walter cursed as yet another trap failed. The few seconds that trap bought him allowed the Requip mage to conjure forth two black guns into each of his hands. Not stopping his charge, Natsu eyed the weapons warily before Walter grinned. "Don't worry, they won't kill you, just be a bit painful" the dark-blond haired boy stated, before unloading each weapon of all their magical ammo. The pinkette was well prepared for the assault and used flames to redirect or completely burn away each shot fired at him.

As the Fire Dragon closed in to his prey, however, another pitfall opened up. Trying to leap over the hole, Natsu desperately tried to scrabble over the edge, only to have a hand to his shoulder. "Sorry about this Natsu, but… I always win" Walter apologised, before pushing on the man's shoulders and sending him downwards into the pit.

Natsu smiled as he felt the pressure applied, letting go of the ledge. Walter took this to mean he admitted defeat and went to stand up, however that was as far from the other wizard's intentions as possible. Before he fell completely, Natsu grabbed ahold of Walter's leg with an iron grip, dragging the other mage down with him. "Wh-" Walter cried out, the sensation of falling surprising him.

"Ha ha" Natsu rallied victoriously. Walter frowned.

"Damn. Barrier" he cursed, before using his magic to weave a barrier of golden-energy that caught him and Natsu. Trying to get up as quickly as he could, Walter suddenly found a weight on top of his chest; Natsu's weight. Looking up against the light, Walter was met by the silhouette of the pink haired mage, fists raised and ready to strike, flames dancing around his fists as much as they were in his eyes. "Give up?" Natsu asked, a promise of at least a dozen punches clear on his face. Walter pouted in thought; there were only two options here, and he didn't like the idea of falling.

"Fine. I admit defeat" he said disgruntledly.

Natsu cheered triumphantly, getting off the muscular chest and offering Walter his hand up. The mage took it, before sighing. "You fought well" he stated, "But don't think this means you're stronger than me; I hardly used up any magic in this fight" he added, folding his arms.

Natsu shrugged. "I'd like to fight you at full force someday… just not now" he said, before looking up. "Smells like the others are waiting up there".

Walter looked up, before tapping his foot. "Barrier, rise" he commanded, the golden energy beginning to elevate up the hole to meet the others once more.

/

 **Gray POV**

Despite Walter's claims that the hole wasn't _that_ deep, I had great difficulty seeing the bottom. After a few moments I heard a cry. _Was that Natsu? Is he injured?_ I worried. Cyrus flicked his eyes over to me, the rainbow colours glowing faintly as his Scribes Eyes observed the fight, or whatever was going on in there. "Don't worry, just watch" the brunette stated.

After a few minutes of frantic thoughts, I saw a faint light at the bottom of the hole, and it was getting brighter. _Is that Walter's power, or Natsu's?_ I wondered, before it came into view. Natsu was standing with his arms folded, a great big smile on his face, whilst Walter, also with his arms folded, pouted sulkily. The floor they were on seemed to be formed from Walter's magic barriers. As they came up to the top, Natsu leapt up and landed beside me. "Hi Gray" he said happily. I smiled at him.

"Did you win?" I asked, hopeful that we could _finally_ move on in our relationship. Natsu nodded, and I pulled him into an embrace. "Well done!" I praised him. I felt a the pinkette's strong arms around me, however when he spoke it was with a tone of confusion.

"You're not mad that I won the bet?" he asked me. I shook my head and buried it in his shoulder, staying there and enjoying the comfort he provided.

"Of course I'm not. To be honest I didn't really mind _who_ won the bet… just as long as we got to… you know…" I whispered. Natsu kissed my cheek as we pulled apart to face the three wizards, a slight amount of embarrassment filling me as soon as I realised that we had done all that in front of them.

"Finished?" Walter asked flatly. I felt Natsu wrap an arm around my waist, and although it was a little awkward knowing we were in the middle of the guild doing this, I hoped Cyrus' runes made it okay. "Right then, I can get on with it. You definitely _don't_ have any remaining power left in you Natsu. If you did, then all of those emotions you showed would've activated it" the Requip mage stated.

I looked hopefully at Natsu. "Does that mean he's fine now?" I asked. Walter nodded.

"Yup. He's okay, however we will just need to put a blocker in place to stop this kind of thing happening again" the teen confirmed. I furrowed my brows, however Cyrus answered the question I didn't have the time to voice.

"It won't do anything _too_ bad, however once placed Natsu will have to wait twenty-four hours before he can use his magic again" he stated. Natsu looked incredulously at the brunette.

"I can't use magic for a whole day!" he barked. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes. If you do the spell will be broken before it can fully implant itself" he stated. "We will do it now to minimize the time you have to wait" Cyrus added.

Natsu went to protest some more, however I shook my head and held his chin in my hand. "You can live one day without using a spell, Natsu" I said to him. Natsu's eyes locked with mine, a faint glimmer in them.

"B-but…" he said. I kept my gaze firm, and after a moment he gave, "Fine. Let's get this over with" he grumbled. Walter and Blake smirked at the show, as Natsu was placed into a magic circle of runes, following the barked instructions of Cyrus.

Once the spell was done Natsu returned to me, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. Walter beamed at us both. "That was a good fight Natsu, although I didn't really use any of my magic" he stated, "And to celebrate that, and also us defeating Hope, I'm gonna take you two, Erza, and Lucy all out to this little bar I know" he declared. I smiled thankfully at him and tapped Natsu in the side.

"That's great. Just tell us when, and where" I stated. As Walter gave us the details Natsu remained quiet, and I noticed his somewhat withdrawn expression. _What's wrong with him now, shouldn't he be happy he won the bet and stuff? He never gets upset or anything when there's free food and drink involved_ I wondered worriedly. Once Walter was done telling us everything, Cyrus took down the barrier and Natsu and I left the guild, all the while Natsu refrained from speaking, even when Lucy and Erza asked him about the fight.

And due to this, I found myself worrying more now, than being late this morning. _Seriously, what's eating him up. Is it just because he can't use magic?_

I could find no answer.

/

 **In front of the guild, 8PM**

Natsu stood leaning against the side of the wall around the guild. It was around 8PM, and I was getting impatient. "Walter said to come for this time, didn't he?" I stated, inquiring for confirmation from the pinkette. Natsu nodded at me, but remained unspeaking. He had been like that all day, since the fight, and no matter what I suggested, sex, food, drink, nothing got the usually upbeat Dragon Slayer to speak more than a few short sentences. What made it worse was that he had completely shut down when I mentioned 'mates'. As I pondered pinning the other mage down and asking him directly, I heard a shout. "Yo guys, sorry we're late" Walter called, running up with Lucy and Erza behind him. The teen wore a lilac shirt, with a darker purple waistcoat and trousers, along with black shoes.

"It was my fault" Lucy apologised. I shrugged.

"You're only a couple of minutes late, we weren't waiting long" I replied, looking over my shoulder to Natsu.

"What's up with him?" Walter asked, noting Natsu's drawn look. I shrugged.

"He's just a little worn out from your fight, although he'll never admit it" I said, earning a daggered glare from Natsu, who stomped up beside me.

"I'm not tired!" he barked. I patted his arm.

"Sure you aren't" I said, before looking to the others, who were all smiling, probably because of Natsu's childishness, "Are we going then?" I asked. Walter nodded.

"Yeah, let's get going. The place is pretty good, and don't worry about the bill" he stated as we began walking. Erza and Lucy tried to guess where it was he was taking us, however I was too distracted by Natsu to make any guesses. Once we arrived we were all surprised to find it was the newest bar in town. Only open a few days no one in the guild had been inside yet. _This'll be something we can brag about later_ I noted, before proceeding inside with Walter at the lead. The guy on the door saw the dark haired, blond-tipped teen and immediately waved us inside.

/

The inside of the bar was nice, plenty of booths around the side, with a large dance floor, and a dark blue colouration to the walls with paintings of various different subjects, from fierce beasts to mighty warrior-wizards. It had mostly been designed to appease the magic-user clientele that I had often seen coming and going, however there were plenty of non-wizards here too.

As soon as we entered Walter lead us all to the bar, where the bartender, a dark haired guy nearly in his forties, smiled and offered us all a choice of drinks. For free. I raised my eyebrows seeing the guy, sure he was good looking but… I didn't think Walter would go for someone so much older than himself. It all became clear, however, as a younger, more handsome teenage boy, around seventeen, appeared from the door behind the bar and winked at Walter. Seeing the brief interaction, I couldn't help but smirk.

"Cheers everyone, and have a good time" Walter stated, holding up his drink with a big grin. We all followed suit, before the Requip mage downed his drink and left the empty glass on the bar. "Now… I've just gotta leave you for a few minutes to… er… deal with the bill" he said, before scurrying off, jumping the bar and heading out of the same door I had just seen the other blond-and-brown haired teen leave by a few seconds earlier. Smirking to myself I sat at one of the stools with Natsu beside me whilst the girls went off to dance.

Natsu had sipped the cocktail he had been handed, and besides a mumbled 'cheers', had not said anything. "So… this place looks pretty good" I stated, trying to strike up a conversation with the pinkette. Natsu nodded, eyes gliding over the area. "I don't think anyone in the guild's gotten in here yet, so we can at least brag about that a bit tomorrow, eh" I nudged Natsu's side, however this elicited no response. Sighing I sipped my drink quietly, watching the scenery. After a few minutes of silence, I decided to have one last attempt. "The girls look like they're having fun, do you wanna dance?" I asked Natsu. The pinkette shook his head.

"There's too many people down there" he complained, "Their scents annoy me when they are all wearing cologne and stuff" he added. _He's lying, he's never complained about that before, and I've seen him dance many times before now_ I thought, a little anger growing inside of me.

"You know… I've never seen you this quiet or grumpy about anything before. Ever since I started dating you, you've been either a little shy, which I think is pretty damn cute, or you've been cocky and confident, which is fucking hot. Why does one little fight make you go like this, one you _won_?" I said despairingly. Natsu looked at me, our eyes meeting, however he made no excuse for his behavior. "Natsu, I love you and whatever you're going through I can help you. But please… don't let it ruin what could be a very fun night together" I added, steeling my gaze. Natsu met the stare for all of one second, before lowering his eyes to the floor.

"I'm… sorry, you're right" he mumbled, before looking up with a slight smile, "I guess I was just being a little grumpy about losing my magic for a day. I'll be that 'confident and cocky' guy you like, if you want me to that is" he said, a little more like his usual self. I placed my hand on his leg.

"I'm fine with you just being yourself" I stated with a smile. Natsu nodded.

"Fine then, let's go dance" he said, jumping up and pulling me up by the arm to follow him.

/

After about half an hour of dancing and drinking, I commandeered a side booth with Natsu, ordering a large number of drinks so we wouldn't have to risk getting up and losing our place to another predatory couple, out for a place to sit.

Walter wandered over. Since he went to 'deal with the bill', we had only seen him a couple of times, either dancing, or chatting to a few of the, notably more attractive, guys in the bar. "Whew… so little time" he mused as he sat opposite me and Natsu.

"What, you mean 'too many guys too little time', right?" I inquired with a smirk. Walter grinned.

"You're lucky, you've already got a guy right next to you to have a bit of _fun_ with, I've gotta go a-hunting" the teen said, taking a mouthful out of one of the remaining drinks at our table.

"Well… there is that cute blond you went off with earlier" Natsu ventured. "He's the bar owner's son, right?"

Walter nodded. "Yep, his name's… erm…" he gave a blank expression.

"You don't know?" I asked with vague amusement. Walter shrugged.

"I hear him saying _my_ name, more than his own" the teen chuckled, "Although… ah yes, it's Lucas" he said brightly. "But anyways, although he _is_ cute, I do look for more than _just_ that in a guy" he added, taking another sip from his glass. We sat watching the girls for a bit, Lucy was having to fight off a couple of guys of her own that were trying a bit _too_ hard to get her to go with them, that was until Erza stepped in and knocked them around some, before dragging Lucy off towards the bar to grab another drink.

As we watched, another guy approached us from the dance floor. "Hey, are you the guy who's been hitting on everyone?" he asked Walter. The Requip mage shrugged, and took another drink.

" _Maaaaaybe._ Why, did I hit on your boyfriend or something?" he replied. The teen shook his head and smiled.

"My _straight_ friend said you had tried it on him, but he shot you down. He's the red head over there" he jutted his thumb out towards his friend. Walter looked over with vague disinterest.

"Okay, so what's the problem. He shot me down" Walter stated. The teen shrugged.

"Who said there's a problem, I was just wondering if you'd like to grab a drink with _me_ " he stated with a cocky smirk. The teen was, for the most part, pretty attractive. He had clear, defined muscles through his slightly too-tight shirt, and messy blond hair, that was a little darker at the roots. On top of that he gave off the same cocky, smart-ass vibe Walter did. Natsu and I looked to each other, before observing Walter's reaction. The Requip mage shrugged and got up, downing the rest of his drink.

"It might be easier if _I_ got a drink for _you_. What's your name?" he asked. The blond smirked.

"Kibou" he stated. Walter patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.

"Well then, nice to meet you Kibou" he said, as the two wandered off to the bar.

I looked to Natsu with surprise, having witness all that. "Well… that was pretty abrupt" I stated. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, although… it's not like _you're_ not abrupt sometimes, popsicle" he stated. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Hah, like you're one to talk, dragging me to dance with you like you did" I retorted, earning a chuckle from Natsu, quickly followed by a brief kiss.

/

 **General POV, an hour later**

Kibou unlocked the door to his hotel room, dragging Walter inside by the hand. "Here we are" he declared. Walter smirked, pushing the door closed behind him. "Yeah, now… what first?" he stated. Kibou smiled enthusiastically at the Requip mage.

"How about we just start now and see where it goes?" he offered. Walter nodded, before quickly pulling the muscular blond into him, and pushing him up against the wall. "That's fine with me, just don't forget _you_ asked _me_ here" the darker haired teen stated, attacking Kibou's mouth ferociously.

The blond, who was equally as prepared for this as Walter, opened immediately and their tongues battled it out as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. After a few minutes of heated kissing they broke apart and Walter smiled, "Where's the bed?" he asked.

Kibou smirked lewdly. "Over there" he gestured towards the bedroom. Walter immediately grabbed his hand and dragged the teen to the bed, throwing him down on it and making out with him again. After once more breaking apart, Walter sat on Kibou's midsection, pinning him down. "You're gonna top then?" Kibou asked, without really much of a care anyways.

Walter nodded. "Fuck yes" he said, before getting up and pulling off the waistcoat he had been wearing to the bar. "Strip, I'm not in the mood for waiting" Walter instructed the muscular blond, who complied; he was just as horny.

Kibou quickly removed his own shirt, quickly followed with his shoes and trousers. Walter smirked as he unbuttoned his shirt, leaving it open at the front, before going and assaulting the boy again. He pinned him back down on the bed, Kibou's hands being kept above his head, whilst Walter ran a hand down his front and grabbed his hard on through his underwear. "Good, you're hard already" Walter stated hungrily. Kibou gave a slight look of surprise.

"I thought you said strip" he muttered.

"Heh, I can do _that_ any time" Walter stated. To emphasize the point, he used some of his magic to Requip out of his shoes, and shirt. Kibou gave a mild look of surprise, "Magic? You're a wizard then?" he asked. Walter nodded, fondling Kibou's cock whilst nipping at his neck.

"Got a problem with that?" he asked. Kibou smirked cockily.

"No, I've always wanted to fuck with a wizard" he stated. Walter smiled and got up off the teen, allowing him to shuffle back on the bed.

"For that I guess you've earned this much" he stated, before Requipping down to just his underwear, before crawling back to Kibou and kissing him. The kiss quickly increased in passion, Walter's tongue fighting to dominate the blonde's mouth.

Kibou massaged Walter's tongue with his, their bodies rubbing against each other. The blonde smirked into the kiss as Walter's hands ran along his sides, the tips of his fingers playing with the waistband of his underwear. "Take… em… off…" Kibou mumbled.

Walter, breaking off the kiss, began to tug them down Kibou's thighs, whilst he kissed his way down the boy's body. As Kibou's member sprung free, Walter was amazed to see its size, and couldn't help but wonder if _he_ could be the one to sub.

Kibou giggled. "You're gonna start drooling if you don't fucking do something, just suck me off" the blond stated. Walter looked up.

"Really?" he said excitedly. Kibou laughed and nodded, before Walter kissed more vigorously down his body, pulling the underwear completely off and casting them aside. As he drew level with the cock, Walter felt a slight niggling sensation at the back of his mind; doubt. _I haven't sucked anyone off in a while_ he thought. Quickly suppressing that thought, the Requip mage used his usual confidence to spur him on. Wrapping his finger's around the other teen's erection, Walter gave a few slight tugs, before he settled into an easy rhythm. "That's not sucking off" Kibou mused. Walter shrugged.

"Just testing you" he stated, before holding the cock at the base, and lowering his head down. Firstly, Walter licked along the length from base to tip, before flicking his tongue out over the slit a few times. "Agh... ah…" Kibou moaned out. Spurred on by the sounds Walter began to take it into his mouth, stopping first when he took the whole head, giving a slight suck, before lowering even further. Despite his doubts Walter managed almost the whole length, before he began to rise up again. Getting back to just the head, he then flicked his tongue out over the slit, gaining another moan, before going back down. Up, slit, down, up, slit, down; Walter began a steady rhythm, head held in a controlled pace by Kibou's hands. As he began to get nearer the edge Kibou allowed Walter to speed up, however it was not fast enough. "F-faster…" Kibou moaned. Walter tried to comply, but the blond, driven by lust alone, held Walter's head and began fucking his mouth. Powerless to do anything, although he was quite enjoying it regardless, Walter began stroking his own dick. "Ahhh… ah… ahhh… I'm coming…" Kibou moaned, before releasing into Walter's mouth. After a few moments, the blond released his grip and Walter slid off of his cock. "Sorry… I-" Kibou began, however Walter leapt forward and kissed him, sharing the taste of his seed.

"It's fine, I end up doing that a lot too. However… don't think I'm done yet" Walter smirked. Kibou laughed.

"The lube's in the drawer" he gestured. Walter smirked and leaned in.

"I don't use lube for _this_ part" he said, sticking his fingers in his mouth. Enjoying the look on the hot blonde's face, Walter realised that for a guy he met only a couple of hours ago, he felt like he already knew a lot about him.

That thought didn't last long, however, as Walter stuck his first finger into Kibou's ass, earning a whiney hiss which turned him on even more, as impossible as that seemed to him. For some reason, this guy did _everything_ right; Everything that Walter liked.

 _What good luck taking the others to the bar had been_ , Walter mused, before going down to kiss Kibou for the last time before they'd fuck.

 _Very good luck_ he repeated, scissoring two fingers inside, and prepping to force his cock into that delicious ass.

 **Chapter 31 End**

 **Next Chapter; Time Ticks On**


	32. Chapter 32 - Time Ticks On

**Chapter 32 – Time Ticks On**

 **Natsu POV, in the morning**

The sounds of heated kissing, and of flesh on flesh was all I could hear around me. "G-gray" I mumbled, as the Ice mage clung to me, panting heavily. His cock was all I could feel, pounding inside of me as the dark haired wizard moaned loudly.

"Na-tsu, I'm gonna" he began before his back arched a little, "C-coming". No sooner had he finish the word did the feeling of hot seed fill my ass. I groaned in anticipation, the icy band around my cock stopping my orgasm, which I was sure would've happened at least twice by now if not for its presence.

Looking down I saw Gray grinning up at me, a playfulness to his dark eyes. He licked a stripe from the base of my aching cock to the tip, flicking the slit a couple of times for good measure. "P-please" I begged him. He pouted momentarily, before smiling.

"Since you asked so nicely" he chuckled, using his magic to remove the band. I silently thanked him as I jerked my own member a few times, before coming over myself. "Fuck!" I exclaimed as white ropes coated my abs. Gray watched with an amused fascination, his face so beautiful in the pale morning darkness. As my orgasm subsided, Gray leaned over me, supporting himself so as not to end up getting my cum over himself as well. "I love how sexy you are when your all desperate" the Ice mage said, before kissing me. As he pulled away I pouted, although I realised that a slight blush had formed on my cheeks.

"S-shut it. You woke me up and started this" I said.

Gray shrugged. "We didn't fuck last night when we came back from the bar because we were too tired, I figured you might like to do it now" he stated calmly. "Besides, it's not like you _didn't_ want that" he added with a giggling tone.

I smirked. "Well that's true" I replied, before looking down at the state I was in; cum covering my abs, hair wild, even worse than just plain bed hair, and the bedding itself was a mess too. "We're gonna need to clean up" I sighed, it was too early in the morning to deal with all this.

Gray checked the clock. "Nah, it's only 7:30AM. We don't need to go down to the guild today, and besides… I've got a better idea" he smirked darkly. Before I could even ask him what it was he began kissing a trail down my body, stopping just above my abdomen. He looked up at me as he trailed his tongue over the first few spots of cum there. _Fuck that's hot!_ I thought, as the Ice mage trailed his tongue all over my lower half. I ran my hands through his hair, encouraging him on. He took it further, though, nibbling playfully at my hip bones, before giving a slight suck. I moaned a little, tugging at his hair. "We've already done it once… I don't… think I can do it again" I breathed.

Since discovering his little ice-band trick, Gray had been increasingly interested in sex, and we would often end up going from a little kiss to a lot _more_ very quickly when we were alone. Although I did enjoy it, not being able to come when I wanted to meant it took more energy out of me, going through all the feeling without actually experiencing the ending properly. To make it worse, Gray always liked to taunt me a little too, not taking the band off immediately, and instead playing around, although he wouldn't do it for too long, it still prolonged the time before I could release.

Despite all that, however, I knew it wouldn't matter soon; especially after yesterday's fight settled our bet. "So… you don't have any plans for today then Gray, since you seem okay with us just laying around here?" I asked the Ice mage lying beside me, his arm wrapped over my midsection. Gray gave me another playful smile.

"You mean; do I have any plans for our date yet, don't you?" he replied. I shrugged.

"No, I just wanted to know what my boyfriend's up to, that's all" I lied. _Although… even if we wanted to mate we couldn't, since that stupid spell stops me from using my magic for a day_ I thought angrily. The day before, when I had beaten Walter and went through a spell to stop any magic from hiding inside me again, I had learned that meant I couldn't use magic for twenty-four hours. Although really this wasn't a big deal normally, it was enough to put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day for two reasons. One; it meant I couldn't do all the necessary preparations to allow me to mate with Gray, and two; some stupid part of me thought that Gray might want to mate yesterday and even if he did, which admittedly he didn't, we _couldn't_ , and that really pissed off some tiny, protective, instinctual part of me. _A Dragon Slayer finds their mate, and claims them. Nothing should stop us_ a little voice had whispered from the back of my mind.

Even with my bad mood, though, Gray still managed to get me back to my normal self, and we quite enjoyed our time at the bar. We even used all of the crowds to sneakily give each other kisses and dance together without people recognizing us. "I've not got any plans yet… but…" Gray stated, stroking a hand through my hair.

"What is it?" I asked calmly, smiling contently at my boyfriend.

"Well… I was wondering if there's anything… specific… I need to do. Like buy you something, or stuff like that?" Gray asked, tone a little unsure. I smiled, chuckling a little as he blushed. "Oh come on… I was… serious" he tried to defend. I kissed him sweetly before responding.

"No, _you_ don't need to do anything, you just _accept_ me. The date can be whatever you like, however, _I_ do have to make some preparations before we can properly mate. Oh, and in case you've got any other ideas, _you will be the one getting fucked that time_ " I stated, running a hand down Gray's back and grabbing his ass.

Gray shivered slightly at the touch, and I felt the slightest amount of heat jump back to my cock. "I-I'm o-okay with that. So I don't have to do anything special then?" he asked, tone moving from unsure to simply seeking confirmation.

I nodded. "Yep, if you want I can kinda explain it all to you now…" I mumbled, as Gray shook his head.

"No. I want it to be a surprise, that way I get to surprise _you_ with the date, then you return the favor _afterwards_ " he said to me, before I hugged him close.

"That's a deal" I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder. With those words resounding around both of us we settled into a comfortable state of near-consciousness, with only the sounds of the people outside, and of each other's breathing to tell us we were still, most definitely, awake.

/

 **Walter POV, at the same time**

I woke up to the same handsome guy I had fucked repeatedly the night before. Sighing, I carefully shifted his arm, which had been resting on my abdomen, before carefully sliding out of the side of the bed. _Well… that was fun_ I thought with a smile, as images of both of us fucking each other flooded my mind, _however Cyrus will kill me if I'm late this morning. He already gets annoyed that I go sleeping around, so… yeah, I better hurry_ I thought, trying to work out whether Requipping into my clothes, then leaving would be easier than simply leaving naked and hoping no one was outside in the corridor when I Requipped. "You're leaving?" a voice sounded behind me. I swiveled to see Kibou sitting up, rubbing his eyes. _Damn!_

"Er… yeah. I've got some wizard work to do" I stated, before getting ready to use my magic, since there was no reason for me to be quiet any more. Kibou looked me up and down. Seeing the blond teens face a sudden heat rose from my stomach, which I quickly tried to suppress. "L-look… you were great, so don't take this the wrong way, okay, but I'm not… looking for a relationship. This was just a one-night stand, right?" I asked him.

Kibou pouted for a moment. "No, I wasn't saying for you not to leave, I was just… well, I kinda hoped we could do it one more time before you went. You're probably one of the best fucks I've had in a while" the teen stated bluntly.

I momentarily lost my composure, taken completely unawares by the other boys show of confidence despite what he was asking. _That was what made me think he was hot last night, and why I agreed to come back here and sleep with him after only buying a couple of drinks_ I noted, before frowning slightly. _As much as I'd like to agree… I really should get back to Cyrus and Blake_ I debated internally. "Er… Kibou… that sounds great but… b-but… I really do have to go. People are waiting for me" I stated, trying to turn to go again. The blond shrugged and lay back in bed.

"Well… I suppose if you've _got_ to go, then sure that's fine but… can I see you again, like I said you're one of the best fucks in this damned town, and I'd hate to lose something like that?" he asked, with a voice that still made it seem like he wasn't asking anything out of the ordinary.

I smiled, it was like this blond was a fucking mirror of me. "Yeah, I guess it'd be okay to see you again; I think you're a pretty good fuck too" I admitted. Kibou laughed.

"It's not often I come home from a bar thinking I made a _good_ decision" the blond laughed.

I nodded in agreement as I Requipped into a light green shirt with a darker green waistcoat and trousers, once more with black shoes. "Ha ha, me too" I agreed.

At that I turned to leave, hearing Kibou mumble a soft 'goodbye', quickly followed by the sound of the bed groaning as the boy lay down, presumably to return to sleep. As soon as I was in the corridor I let out a large sigh. "Since when do you agree to see someone more than once?" Cyrus asked with a slight smile; the brunette was leaning against the wall beside the door.

"Wh- Cyrus, what are you doing here?!" I jumped in surprise. The Script mage rolled his eyes.

"I knew you'd find some guy to sleep with when you went to that bar, and I figured that you'd check into one of the three biggest hotels in Magnolia, it was pretty much guess work after that" the boy stated. I pouted.

"What are you, my creepy stalker of an ex or something?" I mumbled. Cyrus sighed and grabbed my arm.

"No, I'm your carer, now… get to the guild, we've got work to do. The meeting's in two days" he stated. Before I could argue anything, symbols flashed around us and in a blink we were gone, teleported back to the guild and away from the boy I had suddenly grown very close too. _Very_ close.

/

 **Natsu POV, later that day**

We entered the guild sometime around noon. "Natsuuuu!" a voice cried out, quickly followed by a flying cat leaping into my chest.

"Oof, hey Happy" I greeted, patting my buddy on his head.

"Is that really all you've got to say to me?" Happy pouted. I gave a confused expression at the cat, as I noticed Gray chuckle slightly, moving passed me to sit at the bar.

"What do you mean, buddy?" I asked the exceed.

Happy gave me a stern look. "Well… I haven't seen you in forever. First you were captured, then you had to go to that secret place Master never told me anything about. Then when you finally get back you hardly even see me. I know that I've been on a job with Wendy and Carla for the last couple of days but still…" the exceed looked downtrodden. I sighed and scooped him into my arms.

"Sorry buddy, I've just been busy like you. How about we spend today together, just the two of us? We can go fishing if you like…" I said, flashing my best friend a confident smile. Happy looked up at me and smirked.

"Yeah, let's go fiiiishing!" he agreed. I nodded, however Happy spoke again. "How about we go now, it seems like you've just gotten in the guild, but I've been here a while and I _really_ wanna do something, it's so boring" the cat rambled.

I was about to agree, but then went quiet for a moment, looking over to where Gray was sitting, an empty stool next to him that I assumed he was keeping for me. _Should I ask him first? I haven't told Happy yet so he doesn't really know and it's not like it's his fault but…_ the thought stopped me in my tracks. "Er… Natsu, are you feeling okay?" Happy asked me, prodding my cheek. I jumped out of my worrying mind and smiled at my friend. "Oh… yeah… I just remembered that I had something to speak to Gray about…" I half-lied, "How about you go fly home and get the fishing rods whilst I do that?" I asked my partner. Happy gave a slightly suspicious look, but then shrugged and nodded.

"Aye sir!" he called, summoning up his wings and floating out of the guildhall.

I smiled and waved at my friend until he was out of sight, then proceeded to sneak up to Gray. "What took you so long?" Gray asked me, turning to meet my gaze. Instead of giving him my usual smile I wore a more serious expression, given what I was about to ask him. "Natsu?" he questioned me.

"Can I ask you something important?" I said to the Ice mage, making sure no one else was in earshot. Gray nodded discreetly.

"What is it?".

"I want to tell Happy about our relationship, he was feeling lonely just now because I haven't been spending much time with him and he-" I started.

"Of course you can" Gray stopped me. I rose my eyebrows in surprise.

"Really, you're okay with that?!" I asked him, in a carefully controlled rise of my voice.

Gray nodded. "Sure, I figured we'd have to eventually, since you two are so close. Plus… telling him could have some… benefits" the dark-haired wizard grinned.

"Benefits?" I asked, confused again. Gray continued smirking.

"Yeah… like… it's then easier for you to come 'round my place, and stay the night" he explained. I gave a look of realisation.

"I suppose that's true" I muttered. Up until then I had always stayed over at Gray's for most of the night, then snuck back over to my house in the woods, pretending to have been doing some 'late night training'. Although it killed me to have to lie to Happy like that, I knew it was the only way. Until now. "Happy and I are gonna go fishing, he's getting the rods now. If you come with me, we can tell him at my house before he comes back and things get too difficult" I stated. Gray nodded, leaning near to me and whispering.

"I've been having some thoughts too…" he said with a mysterious tone. I gave him a quizzical look, but decided not to pursue the matter at that moment, since we had other things to be dealing with; namely my best buddy in the whole world.

/

After a short running walk to mine and Happy's shared house in the woods, Gray and I slowed down to catch our breath. Neither of us spoke, since we knew that if we ended up talking about this one of us would want to back down and then we'd end up completely leaving without ever telling Happy. _I mean… we would have to tell him eventually… but I guess now would be better_ I reasoned as we strolled up to the house.

The door was left wide open, since Happy and I never actually bothered locking it. "Hey Happy!" I called out, searching for my partner.

"I'm right here Natsu" the blue cat replied, appearing from out of a closet with two fishing poles. As soon as he set eyes on me and Gray the exceed frowned. "What's Gray doing here, is he coming with us too?" the cat asked, just a hint of disappointment at even the idea of _our_ fishing trip including another person. I felt sorry for the cat and shook my head.

"No, he's not. We just… need to talk to you for a minute…" I said slowly. Happy put the rods down against the wall and padded up to stand in front of us.

"Okay…" he said, tone a little suspicious, "You're not gonna prank me, right?"

I chuckled a little, "No, this is a serious thing" I answered, readying myself to actually _tell_ Happy that Gray and I were going out. The blue cat stood looking intently at me, his eyes glistening with emotions, and just a little mischief. "Well… you see… me and Gray have been… that is we're… w-we…" my mind went blank. No words came, no matter how much I willed them to, and I was left standing dumbstruck.

"What is it Natsu?" the exceed asked, completely confused now. I stood quietly, trying to formulate how I could tell Happy that not only was I in a relationship with someone, in love with someone, but that it was with a _guy_ , my _rival_.

After a minute or so, although it could very well have been years for all I could tell, I looked over to Gray, begging him for support. The Ice mage stood coolly, and I saw my partners gaze drift to him. "Me and Natsu are going out, as boyfriends" the wizard said flatly. Happy looked between us and narrowed his feline eyes.

"I thought I said for you not to prank me. I'm gonna-" the cat stopped mid-sentence and sweat dropped.

Since Happy had begun speaking, Gray had leaned in and pushed our lips together in a short, chaste kiss.

/

I was stunned for a moment by the sudden feeling of Gray so close to me, however I recovered quickly and pulled away with a slightly thankful smile. _He helps me… again_.

Looking towards Happy, the cat looked down at the floor, keeping quiet. I held my breath, suddenly worried about my friend's reaction. I gave him a few minutes, before trying to get him to open up. "Um… Happy…" I whispered. The cat did not respond, "Erm… Happy?" I said again, a little louder. The exceed looked up at me, face flat.

"Yes Natsu?" he said with a steady and level voice.

"Well… what do you… um… think?" I stammered. The cat pouted for a moment, before grinning ridiculously.

"I think it's great Natsu, you found someone who can tolerate all your stupid pranks so you don't have to constantly annoy me" Happy said giggling, "Plus… you looooove him" he added, pointing at Gray.

Despite his antics I gave a sigh of relief; Happy accepted it. "Are you r-really sure?" I said, looking for confirmation. Happy nodded happily.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I, I mean… I'm surprised it's a _guy_ a little, but… It kinda makes sense you it's you two" he said. I smiled and wrapped an arm around Gray.

"Thank you, but… can you just keep it between us?" I said. Happy shrugged.

"I figured you'd say that, but yeah I will, of course. It's _your_ relationship, not mine. Besides, now I can stop worrying about you being lonely when we grow up and I go live with Carla" the cat stated with a very definitive tone.

"Who said I'd be lonely?" I pouted at my buddy. Happy laughed.

"Of course you'd be, you'd not have _me_ there to give you all these great puns and jokes" he humored. "But anyways… I'm glad you're together. Did you bring Gray here to tell me, so we could go fishing together?" Happy asked me. I furrowed my brows and looked to Gray.

"We… didn't. Buuut… do you want to Gray?" I asked the Ice mage I was cuddling beside me.

Gray shook his head. "No. I'm thankful Happy's fine with this, but I've got some stuff to do. You two can go spend some time together, then I'll meet you back at the guild hall later, okay?" he said with a smile.

I nodded to him. "Okay" I agreed "But… I bet it's about our date" I mumbled, thinking back to what Gray had said earlier. Gray laughed and gave me a short good-bye kiss, before turning to leave. "You'll have to wait and see" the Ice mage said, waving before wandering off towards Magnolia.

Once he was gone Happy burst out laughing. "Oh you sooooo looooove him Natsu" he giggled, "And you're such a girrrrrllll, fussing over dates" he added. I pouted and grabbed the rods.

"Come on. Stupid cat" I grumbled, scooping up the still laughing exceed into my arms.

/

 **Gray POV, later that day**

I sat at the bar tapping my fingers, waiting. Natsu said he'd be here by afternoon, however it was getting closer to evening. "Hah… where _is_ he?" I mumbled, in an annoyed tone.

"Waiting for Natsu?" Lucy said, coming to sit next to me. I looked at her and she gave an apologetic expression.

"Oh… sorry" she whispered. I sighed and waved dismissively.

"No, it's fine, doesn't look like anyone noticed" I said, gesturing around the now quiet, empty guildhall.

She smiled, "But you _were_ talking about Natsu weren't you?" she asked in a soft voice. I smiled and nodded, making her squeal with delight. "Aw… you're so cute" she said, " _And_ you seemed pretty busy today" she added with a wink. I shrugged and took a gulp out of the glass of water in front of me, on the bar.

"I just… had some stuff to do, that's all" I replied, avoiding the subject. Lucy giggled.

"Stuff like… going in and out of restaurants, checking the price of flowers and… looking at chocolates?" she mused. I went wide eyed.

"You followed me?" I queried, she shook her head.

"No, I just ran into Juvia earlier. She's convinced that it's all for her Gray" the blonde gave me an unusually judging expression. I sighed again and pinched the bridge of my nose. "You need to tell her…" Lucy started, and I held my head low.

"I know, I will… soon" I muttered. Lucy smiled and nodded.

"Good, now…" she looked over my shoulder and I turned to see Happy and Natsu enter the hall.

"Hiya Gray!" the pinkette called, coming and sitting down next to me. I smiled.

"Hi, fire ball" I replied. Natsu ignored the insult and sat down on the bar stool. Happy flew over and landed on the bar itself, with a fish in each hand. "Can I really keep both of these?" he asked Natsu, who nodded.

"Sure buddy, I don't mind" he said, ruffling Happy's fur, before turning to me. Lucy had already disappeared, leaving just us three. "So… done with all your _stuff_?" the Dragon Slayer asked with a wry grin. I nodded.

"Yeah, I've got almost everything ready…" I muttered. Natsu gave an excited look.

"Okay, I just need another day to prepare and then-" the Fire Dragon Slayer stopped mid-sentence as another voice sounded out.

"Hey Natsu, you're back at last. Can I speak to you and Gray, please?" Makarov called from the top of the stairs. I heard Natsu sigh, but gestured for me to come with him. We both got up and apologised to Happy, who just grinned, before going with our Guildmaster.

/

We were lead into a side room, away from the rest of the guild. "What is it Gramps?" Natsu asked the elderly mage. Makarov smiled pleasantly.

"Walter has arranged for the next meeting of guilds for tomorrow, just so you are aware not to plan anything" he said. I looked to Natsu, who looked back at me. "Is there a problem?" Makarov asked, judging our faces.

"We've kind of…"

"Sorry I just had to finish with something, have you told them?" Walter said, entering the room.

Makarov nodded. "I have, however… you were saying Gray?" he looked over to me.

"Well… me and Natsu kinda have some plans for something important tomorrow, so… can we skip the meeting?" I asked, suddenly nervous standing in front of both Walter _and_ Master.

"You want to skip the meeting?" Makarov muttered with mild confusion.

"It's fine, to be honest we only really need a representative from each guild, I don't know why each member-in-the-know insists on attending" Walter said, earning a surprised glance from the tiny mage beside him.

"Are you sure, you're heading the meeting so I won't argue, however…" Makarov trailed off as Walter smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure they have more _interesting_ things to be doing. Just don't cause trouble on your day off, and _don't leave Magnolia_ " the Requip mage stated. We nodded at him.

"It's okay, we won't" Natsu grinned. Makarov seemed fine with the decision _, probably relieved not to have to deal with Natsu's outbursts at the meeting_ I thought.

"Er… Walter?" another voice said. We all turned to look at the door, where Mirajane now stood.

"Yes Mira?" Walter asked.

"There's a boy here to see you… his name was Kibou, I think" the model/waitress/S-Class wizard stated. I noticed Natsu give a slight grin and raise his eyebrows suggestively at me. I smirked too, but tapped his side to tell him to stop being so obvious.

Walter, however, grinned stupidly. "Sorry, however it looks like I've got _more_ stuff to deal with. I'll see you tomorrow Makarov, and I _won't_ see you two" Walter stated, before bowing and leaving the room. Makarov was quick to depart with Mira, leaving just me and Gray alone in the quiet room.

I smiled at Natsu. "So… you were saying you needed a day to do something?" I asked him. He laughed, before wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Can we just kiss instead?" he asked, not waiting for an answer and leaning in to begin kissing me. I shrugged slightly and joined in willingly; we could always talk later.

/

 **General POV**

Walter appeared at the top of the stairs in a blur of motion. Quickly his eyes locked onto the muscular blond teen standing a little awkwardly nearer the entrance to the hall. "Hey, Kibou!" he called out. The blond looked up and smiled, as Walter quickly descended the stairs and met the boy he had spent last night with, "What are you doing here?".

Kibou smirked. "I figured that since you're a wizard the guild'll be the best place to check" he said smartly. Walter chuckled.

"I guess you're not wrong there" he admitted, "However let me rephrase my question; _Why_ are you here?".

Kibou shrugged and lowered his voice, "I really wanted to see you again… and I was bored" he admitted. Walter grinned.

"Well… you just so happened to have caught me at a time when I have no work so…" he raised his eyebrows suggestively at the teen.

"I have a room at the same hotel still?" the blond offered.

Walter nodded in agreement. "Sounds good, just step outside will you", he gestured for the door and the two left together. Once they were outside, Walter took Kibou around the side of the guild and faced him. "I never got the chance to show you my magic, so…" Kibou closed the distance and kissed Walter. The Requip mage was caught by surprise, however he recovered quickly and pushed the other boy up against the stone wall. "Show me then…" Kibou breathed once the two parted.

Walter laughed. "Okay, just… hold on tight" he said. Kibou did as he was told, gripping Walter's shirt, before they both set off at high speed. "Swift Infinity" Walter commanded, before the two move as a blur, stopping in a manner of seconds at the same door they had done last night.

"Ergh…" Kibou wretched slightly.

"Don't worry, that'll only last a minute or so. Long enough for you to get the door open" Walter said with laughing crescent eyes. As Kibou unlocked the door, Walter could help but eye the boy carefully.

/

 **Gray's apartment, later that night**

Natsu was laughing as he pushed me down into the sofa. "I really wanna do it Gray, but we can't… yet" he grinned devilishly. I looked up at the pinkette on top of me, his hair fell down to meet me half way.

"I know, I'm sorry I teased you" I said with a smile. Me and Natsu had been talking when the topic of our date cropped up. I had refused to give up any secrets and then Natsu had tried to kiss a confession out of me, however I stupidly mentioned him fucking me and then… well, he got upset, just a little.

"It's ok…" Natsu said, smiling back at me, "I'm not mad, although… there is _something_ you could do to make up for it" he added. I raised an eyebrow.

"Now?" I queried, the pinkette nodded.

"Yeah, if you really are serious about us going on our date tomorrow, then I just kind of…" he blushed, "Thought this could be our last time doing it like that before we actually… you know…" he trailed off and chuckled.

"Aww… that's too cute Natsu. But I do like that idea" I stated, wrapping my arms around the Dragon Slayer's chest. Natsu's face brightened up.

"Really?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yup, it's not like I would _refuse_ and offer of sex from you" I said. Natsu chuckled and lowered his face down to within centimeters of my own.

"Enjoy your last time topping for a day" he whispered. I blushed slightly before meeting his eyes.

"It's not gonna be my last time _ever_ " I said, matter-of-factly. Natsu grinned.

"That depends on how good this time is" he replied, before kissing me.

The kiss was sweet, with an underlying tone of lust that we both could not ignore. I pulled Natsu further into me as we deepened the kiss, our tongue's vying for dominance, slipping between my mouth and his, until the Fire Dragon finally submitted and allowed me inside.

His mouth was so warm, alien but familiar at the same time; I was reluctant to leave it, however the annoying necessity of breathing forced me. "Hah… how about we take this to bed…?" I asked Natsu lowly after we pulled apart.

Natsu nodded, before a flicker of mischief passed through his eyes. "Make me" he said. I gave a confused look. "Make me, or we'll just have to fuck here" he stated. I sighed, although I couldn't help the lustful smile play with the corners of my mouth.

"Heh… fine" I said, before grabbing him and flipping him over so I was on top. Without losing a second I jumped up, standing beside the sofa, and swept Natsu up into my arms. Then, carrying him princess style, I took him over and into my bedroom, depositing him in my bed. He grinned up at me and I smirked, "Take it off, now" I demanded in a lustful whisper. Natsu shook his head, continuing to smile. I saw the fire in his eyes; a challenge.

Accepting this I pushed him down onto the bed and straddle myself on his hips. "I said take it off Natsu" I whispered, leaning down and eyeing him closely. The Fire Dragon Slayer grinned defiantly and I smirked. _Guess we'll do this the other way then_ …

I locked my lips with his kissing ferociously. Natsu opened immediately, however there was no battle; I dominated. Sliding my hands down Natsu's arms I stopped at his wrists, pinning them above his head with one hand, before working his waistcoat off with the other. I had already lost my shirt somewhere earlier in the day, and as I pressed our bare, shirtless bodies against each other, I felt Natsu murmur a little into the kiss.

I pulled off of his lips, and began attack his neck and jaw, moving lower to his shoulder, whilst my hand crawled lower still, reaching his waist band. Moving to sit up I let go of Natsu's hands and instead moved both hands to his belt, undoing it, before standing up. "Now, take 'em off" I said, for a third and final time. This time Natsu was a little too heated to resist me, and obeyed. As his trousers and underwear were sent to the ground and the pinkette's beautiful, naked body lay sprawled on my bed invitingly, I quickly discarded my own trousers and underwear, before crawling back over Natsu.

His face was flushed, however there was a warmth to his eyes. I gave him a little kiss, before reaching over to the bed-side table, pulling out a bottle of lube. Natsu eyed the bottle with an eagerness I had only seen in two situations; before battle… or before sex. The pinkette mewled as I flipped the lid off of the bottle and squirted some over my fingers, lining one up at his hole. "Ready?" I asked him. Natsu nodded.

"Y-yeah" he replied, moaning a little as the finger was inserted. "Cold…".

I laughed and positioned myself so I could keep the finger inserted, whilst still maintain eyelevel with him. "How about I heat you up a little then?" I breathed, before kissing a trail down Natsu's neck and body, drawing level with one of Natsu's nipples. I _knew_ this always worked, and I loved the noises Natsu made when I did it; so I sucked on the bud gently… at first.

"Ah… ah…" Natsu moaned as I inserted another finger and began scissoring them inside. "G-Gray…" I could see his cock twitching in excitement. Deciding not to let him give it up yet, I took my other hand and wrapped it around his cock, stroking slightly. "Ahhh… G-Gray… you can't… I'll come" Natsu said in panted breaths. I smirked.

"Just heating you up… before I cool you down, pyro" I replied, before charging magic to my hand. Natsu yelped at the sudden cold, and as my hand retracted a perfect band of devil-ice was left behind around Natsu's member. "Can't let you go coming too early, can we?" I mused in a darker tone, before inserting my third and final finger, whilst giving a rougher suck on Natsu's other nipple.

"AH!" Natsu moaned loudly. I adored the sound, and as I forced my fingers in and out of his ass, I heard it again and again, until it was replaced by a disappointed mewl as I withdrew my fingers and straddled Natsu on my hips.

I grinned cockily as I took the bottle of lube and covered my own member with the liquid, before throwing the bottle aside. I held my member level with Natsu's hole, "Ready, this'll be the last time for a coupla days" I said to him. Natsu nodded with a slight smile.

"Put it in" he instructed me. Despite topping I obeyed, pushing the tip of my member inside of Natsu. "Agh…" Natsu whimpered, "Just pu-t it all in" he said. I smiled and caressed his face with one hand, before thrusting gently the rest of my length in. I gave Natsu a minute or two, before the Fire Dragon Slayer gestured for me to go on with pleading eyes. I started thrusting slowly, in out, in out, but built up speed quickly.

"Hhaaaaa… Natsu" I moaned as I felt his tight heat, coupled with the delicious friction of my thrusts, build up, "So… good…". Natsu was also moaning quite loudly, stroking his own cock, although not too intensely I noticed. _Good… he's trying to last…_ I thought with what shreds of mind were not preoccupied with fucking.

"G-gray…" the pinkette moaned at me. I decided to angle my thrusts more and eventually I was rewarded with the most beautiful sound. "F-FUCK… Gray…" Natsu barked, body twitching as I struck his prostate. "M-more… there" he begged me. I lowered myself to his ear and nibbled it slightly.

"Only if you beg like that" I whispered seductively.

"P-please… more" he breathed. I kissed him as I thrust at the same angle as before, boring down on his spot as much as I could. "Fuck Gray… fuck… G-Gray, good… more" Natsu moaned incoherently. I felt his body spasming, obviously the band was doing its job, however the feeling around my cock was doing its own job too. "Close Natsu…" I warned in a panted breath. Natsu was too lost to respond, and with a heated kiss I came inside of him. "NATSU!" I cried out as hot jets of cum left my member and filled Natsu's ass. I had to let my orgasm subside, before I realised Natsu was still moaning, more pleadingly this time. I looked up to see the pinkette's glazed eyes looking down on me. I quickly pulled out of his ass and removed my magic, which sent Natsu into a frenzy, jerking his member with such force and speed I had not seen before. In a few moments of heat Natsu came hard. "FUCK… f-fuck… Graaaaay…" he moaned loudly, before resting his head down on the pillow. I smiled fondly at him, eyeing up the rapid rise and fall of his cum-covered chest.

Instead of cleaning up I lay beside Natsu, covering our bodies with a blanket. He smiled sleepily at me, "That was great…" he said. I nodded.

"A good end to my topping you" I replied with a chuckle. Natsu laughed and leaned in to kiss me.

"I know we should clean up but… can we just sleep like this?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Whatever my Dragon wants. I don't really mind; it just means we'll have to take a shower together in the morning" I said pleasantly. Natsu smiled warmly and I hugged him tight, before we both fell into a pleasant sleep.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day.

/

 **Meanwhile…**

Kibou and Walter lay side by side, naked, with the blankets and sheets as strewn about the bed as their clothes were around the room. "Well… that was… fun…" Walter panted.

"What, reach your… limit already, I was sure you'd last at least one more time. Three just doesn't seem fair. I should get to top one more time" Kibou grinned. Walter patted the blonde's arm.

"Heh… jus' give me a minute" he replied. Kibou sighed and brought himself up on one arm, eyeing the darker haired wizard closely.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I don't get to have my fun" he said mischievously. Walter grinned at him, running a hand down towards his groin. "Of course not, wouldn't want it going around that I'm not up for it" he said with a cocky tone.

"Time's up" Kibou stated, pulling Walter close and engaging in yet another kiss. They started slowly, with Kibou resting one hand on Walter's hip whilst the other ran a hand up his back. Walter wrapped his arm around the blonde and let the other boy begin to pull himself on top. As Kibou moved to his hand and knees, resting above Walter, the two increased the wildness of their kiss.

Kibou immediately pushed to dominate, however Walter fought back carefully, letting Kibou in a little, only to try his own offensive. Eventually, however Walter gave in and, after a couple of minutes of kissing, the two pulled apart. "Hah, ah…" Walter breathed. Kibou laughed.

"Before I fucked you last night, just how long had it been since you last did it, because you seem in pretty bad shape to me" he mused. Walter frowned slightly at him.

"It's not that it's been a long time, it's just… you're a bit better at this than a lot of the other guys I've done it with, you just don't quit" the wizard explained.

"Trying to flatter me just to get me to slow down?" Kibou asked with mock suspicion. Walter shrugged.

"Maaaaybe… but anyways… you were failing to get me to uke" the darker haired mage stated. Kibou's mouth opened to retort, however he gave a vicious grin instead.

"You're sooooo gonna get it now" he said, before crashing his lips back down on Walter and grinding his hips. Walter moaned a little at the friction as his member reawakened for the fourth time. Kibou completely dominated this time, not just in the kiss; he used one hand to pin both of Walter's hands above his head, and then began carefully caressing down his body, stopping just short of his member. As the pulled apart again, Kibou began trailing kisses down Walter's neck, sucking on the spot he had found earlier. "Agh… ah…" Walter breathed, as Kibou continued caressing his abs without touching his member. "C-come on… don't do that. It's not like I need much prepping, just fuck me" Walter complained. Kibou met Walter's gaze and shook his head coyly.

"I said you're gonna get it. I won't touch your cock again until I'm nearly there myself" the blond teen stated. Walter realised at that very moment that as far as foreplay and dominating went, Kibou was _much_ better at it than he was. "F-fuck…" Walter said, intending it more as a curse but making it sound like he was fucking begging.

He knew Kibou could tell that, but the blond took it in the way it _wasn't_ intended. "Well… if you're insisting, I guess I _can't_ refuse" he said, grabbing Walter's leg and pushing it apart so he could better line himself up with the Requip mage's hole. Before he thrusted in, however, he reached for the lube and flicked the lid off one handed, pouring it on his cock. Walter watched the display intently, suddenly remembering that on top of being a better seme than him, Kibou's cock was actually larger than his as well. Larger, and thicker. "Fuck… f-fuck…" Walter breathed again, as he felt the tip of Kibou's member press against his ass. "Just fucking do it!" he barked. Kibou laughed, before thrusting his entire length inside in one fluid movement.

"Ahhhh…" the blond sighed vocally. "You're so tight it's amazing".

Walter was too busy trying to regain his mental state of balance to respond with anything more than a short statement. "Y-you're so big too. Fuck" he said.

The blond heard his statement and leaned in, kissing along his neck before drawing to eye level with him. "Well… this big dick is gonna fuck you gooood" he stated, before attack Walter's mouth once more. As their tongue's connected, Walter massaging Kibou's tongue with his own, Kibou began to pull his cock out to the tip, before thrusting all of the length back in. He did this a few times, settling into a steady, rhythmic motion. "F-uck… Walter, yo-u're… so warm… tight" Kibou moaned as he began to fuck Walter.

"So good… good…" Walter breathed back as pleasure shot up his spine. Suddenly the pleasure intensified and Walter was left stunned for a moment, seeing a few white spots in his vision. "AHHHH! There… there…" he moaned loudly. Kibou, just on the edge of consciousness himself, heard Walter's pleads and bore down on the area he had struck only moments ago.

With the repeated strikes to his own prostate, and the delicious friction of Kibou's body rubbing against his member, Walter came, harder than all their previous times, although not as much cum as he would have expected. "KIBOU!" he moaned out one last time. The blond felt the tightening of Walter's walls around his own member and was not long in following suit. "W-Walter… WALTER" he howled, coming inside the mage.

Once their mutual orgasms subsided, Kibou rolled off of Walter and lay beside him. "O-okay… now I'm done too" the teen said, smiling over at his wizard companion. Walter nodded, breathing heavily. "M-me too… how about we just lay here for a bit… rest up… then I'll go" the wizard said. Kibou nodded, but reach his hand out to rest it on Walter's arm.

"You can go in the morning; you don't need to leave right this minute. I don't mind since… well… since you're a pretty good fuck" the blond replied, flicking off the bedside lamp. Walter sighed tiredly and nodded, a small yawn escaping him. He was quite quickly fast asleep, the blond watching him in the darkness as he slept.

"You're a pretty good fuck… heh… annoyingly..." the blond muttered, before falling off to sleep himself. He hadn't been this tried in a while.

 **Chapter 32 End**

 **Next Chapter; Intruder**


	33. Chapter 33 - Intruder

**Chapter 33 – Intruder**

 **Natsu POV, in the morning**

I felt myself drift slowly out of sleep and into the living, waking world. "Good Mornin', Gray" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. When I heard no response, I looked to my side. "Still asleep?" I whispered, before my mind took in the one detail it was missing. "Gray's gone!".

I pulled the covers back, revealing no naked body, no Ice mage, no raven hair, just plain, empty air. "Where the hell is he?" I said to myself, jumping up and walking through his apartment naked. "Gray… you in here?" I called out, moving from the living room to the kitchen and even the bathroom, however there was not one sign of my mate-to-be. _Where is he? The guild? Did he just sneak out?_ My still-sleepy mind raced with questions. I sniffed the air, however this was Gray's apartment, and his scent was everywhere. Padding around, wondering what could've happened to make Gray up and leave, I noticed one scent-trail was slightly fresher than the rest. Following it I re-entered the bedroom, only for my eyes to lock onto the bedside table.

The scent was coming from some scrap of paper, held down to the wood by a thin crust of ice along one side; Gray's ice. "What's this for, a note?" I questioned to no-one in particular, taking the paper off carefully, although the ice was clearly designed to break with very little force. _Definitely Gray's work_ I thought, noting both the penmanship of the note and the ice that had been left behind.

My eyes scanned quickly over the contents of the note, and I scowled at just the first line.

 _Hey, lazy lizard_ , it began,

 _I know that you've probably just either got really angry for me not being there when you woke up, or you've just ran around the apartment looking for me, however let me explain. I did try to wake you up, but like usual you didn't want to, so I left without you. Don't try to follow me and I'll see you at the guild hall at 5PM. We'll talk then._

 _Oh, and because I know you'll try to follow me Lucy's gonna be there to keep an eye on you_.

 _~Gray_

After reading, I crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it aside, slumping down onto the bed, with my legs hanging over the edge. "Who does he think he is, telling me to sit and stay like some dog?" I mused, slightly annoyed now. "I mean… okay I guess it's my fault I didn't wake up, but…" I couldn't think of anyone else to blame at that moment, so I settled for changing the train of thought to avoid getting angry. "Guess if Lucy's coming over I should clean everything up" I decided, noting the stained sheet and state I was in.

Debating which was more embarrassing, I settled for quickly hiding the sheets in the laundry basket I saw in the corner of the bedroom, and then hopping in the shower. As the warm water rained down on my body, another question popped into my head. _Did Gray shower whilst I was asleep, surely I'd have woken up for that?_ I thought, imaging the Ice mage sneaking out with the cum stains still on him from last night, _Although… I was pretty tired last night and all that… er… fun wasn't helping…_

After a few minutes of standing under the water and debating the finer points of last night's events, I quickly scrubbed myself and cleaned the suds off before jumping out of the shower room and locating my clothes from the day before. Picking the discarded garments up, I realised I could still smell Gray on them, however without any other options, I put them on. _That smell's gonna drive me insane, I gotta get home and changed, otherwise…_ I didn't want to think of all the explaining I'd have to do at the guild, especially to Gajeel and Wendy. _Oh and Sting and Rogue'd be there too, just to make it worse_ I reminded myself.

After getting changed, and making a mental plan to get changed and _then_ go to the guild, I set off for home. Before I even reached the front door handle, however, I caught the scent of Lucy coming from outside. _Damn, she's already here_ I thought, before a wicked grin formed on my face. Instead of leaving by the door, like normal, I went into Gray's bedroom and opened the window, placing my foot to the ledge. _I can easily lose her, I've just gotta leave by the window and…_ I pushed myself over the ledge and landed on the grassy area outside Gray's bedroom window. "I'm free!" I laughed, self-satisfied.

"Free?" A voice sounded from behind me. I yelped and whirled around to see a scowling redhead eyeing me from the shade of the building. "Who said you'd been captured?" Erza asked, folding her arms.

"E-Erza, what are you doing here?" I asked confusedly, edging a slight distance further away from the other wizard. Erza smirked and took a step closer.

"Gray said he needed someone to keep an eye on you today, and me and Lucy volunteered. He also guessed you'd smell us outside, so you'd leave by the window" the Sword mage laughed; I scowled at her.

"I'm just going home though. I promise I won't follow him" I protested and lied at the same time. Erza shrugged.

"Then _we're_ just coming with you" she retorted, as Lucy appeared from the other side of the building with a slight smirk on her face. Looking at the pair I realised they were prepared to chase me, and I sighed in a defeated tone. "Fine, let's go" I said, gesturing with my arm for the two wizards to follow.

 _Damn it, when I see Gray he's so gonna get it_ I thought as I paced through the streets with Erza and Lucy tightly at either side.

There was no escape.

/

 **Walter POV**

I woke up, feeling a warmth beside me; a body. Smiling, I opened my eyes to find the unconscious, naked form of Kibou, his blond hair poking out chaotically, but a smile on his face. "Good morning… again…" I whispered to myself, it wasn't often I woke up to the same person twice. As my mind quickly sharpened, I realised that not only was I next to Kibou, but that his bare body was wrapped by my arms quite tightly, and it hit me suddenly that I had been spooning him whilst asleep. Quietly, but quickly, I retracted my arms and sat up slightly. _I've never spooned anyone, get spooned yes, but me…_ I thought as I observed the sleeping boy beside me, _I suppose that he's special to me… kinda… I mean, I like him and oddly I find him more interesting and attractive than a lot of the guy's I've been with before, but… I can't stay with him. That's our Code; Leave nothing behind, no memories, no grave. We are but ghosts._

As I was lost in thought I failed to notice the slight change in Kibou's breathing, and it wasn't until I saw the deep golden eyes set on me that practically grinned with mischief. "Good morning. Not sneaking out today?" the blond asked me. I smirked at him.

"No, I figured that since it's a little earlier today I can wait a little while before I get back to my work" I said. Kibou chuckled and I slid slightly further down whilst he rose up to meet me half way. Before I could say anything to him, however, the blond leaned in and kissed me. Taken by surprise I did nothing but lay there as his lips pressed against mine, however he kept it short. "Last night was fun, I'd-" Kibou began to say, however I cut in.

"I'd like to see you again, but I can't" I said flatly. Kibou frowned at me.

"What? Why not?" he asked, tone a little whiney.

I sighed. "I've got a lot of work to do. I can't keep doing this with you, no matter _how_ fun it is" I explained, keeping my voice level. _It's sort of the truth, I guess…_

"But…" Kibou looked a little lost for words for once, before shrugging and laying back into his pillow. "I guess I wouldn't know really, since I'm not a wizard or anything" he mused. I patted his shoulder.

"It's nothing too bad, just think of this as a _really_ short relationship, and that I had to move away somewhere, if that's what you're feeling like" I offered, deciding to get up out of bed. As soon as Kibou had lain back, I could see the slight feelings of loss in those deep golden eyes, and I suddenly realised my presence would only make it worse. _It's better to cut things off early, in order to save pain, tears and loss_ I thought, steeling myself against all three as I Requipped into a new white shirt and purple three-piece suit. "So I guess I'll _not_ see you again then" Kibou said as he observed my actions. I sighed and nodded, trying to put on a friendly face.

"Yes… and just so you know this is not easy on me, if that's what you're thinking… I really like you" I said. Kibou just shrugged.

"As I said, you were a good fuck, but I don't think I ever actually thought about having a relationship with you" the blond said. I nodded in understanding.

"Well then, that's… good. At least it means you wouldn't need to get over me or anything" I said, earning a slight snort from Kibou.

"And my friends say _I'm_ cocky" he laughed slightly. I laughed along with him, before pulling out my pocket watch. "You're going then?" he asked me, laughter dying quickly. I felt a slight tug at my chest as I nodded.

"Yeah, sorry about this. If, in the future, we do meet…"

"We can fuck around again" Kibou finished. I chuckled and turned on my heel.

"Ha, maybe" I laughed, before leaving the room quickly. Once I was outside, and out of the building, I let out a large sigh. _Well… that was annoyingly romantic, kind of like those stupid lovey-dovey movies_ I criticized myself for allowing that to happen as it had, _I mean seriously 'if in the future', is that the level I'm at now, romantic films?_

I almost laughed at the idea. _I'm going into war with a league of monsters and I'm wandering about town worrying about my interactions with one boy_ a slight smirked appeared on my face as I thought of Kibou, however I quickly cast it aside. "Perhaps it was a mistake…" I voiced aloud without thinking.

Looking around I realised there were very few people around, which I was thankful for; then someone tapped me on the shoulder. Jumping away from the touch I turned to see a black-haired wizard standing there, in the shade of the very hotel I had just left. "Blake?" I questioned.

 _Cyrus sent me to get you. They've almost all arrived for the meeting. He wants you there now._ The Elixir mage signed with his hands. I nodded. _Why were you walking instead of using you're magic?_ Blake added. I raised an eyebrow at his astuteness.

"W-well…" I began, rubbing the back of my head. _I really just wanted to get these thoughts out before I got to the guild…_

 _You grew attached to that blond boy, didn't you?_ I lowered my head.

"Yes" I replied, before meeting my teammates gaze, "But I've just ended it. I pushed him away, so there'll be no more distraction". Now it was Blake's turn to raise an eyebrow.

 _You did?_ I nodded. Blake took this in and patted my shoulder comfortingly. I held his hand on my shoulder for a moment, before letting go and turning in the direction of the guild. "Okay, let's go" I said. Blake nodded and we both set off for the guild, leaving the hotel, and Kibou, for good.

/

 **General POV**

From his third story window, Kibou watched the interaction between the two mages. "Damn it. Over me my ass, he looks miserable" the blond muttered, carefully watching Walter's face. A slight smirk appeared on his face. "I wonder if he'll really try to keep pushing me away if I keep trying for him?" he thought aloud.

As he watched he saw how Blake patted Walter on the shoulder and a slight twang of jealousy shot through his chest; the blond decided not to watch anymore. "I should probably get dressed and head off too" he said, redirecting his thoughts momentarily, "Although…" he looked down at his own, naked, body, and at the hard-on he currently had. "I suppose I _should_ deal with this first" he mused.

Laying down on the bed Kibou went to start 'dealing with it', however another image of Walter popped into his head, and he froze. "Damn it, get out of my thoughts!" he cursed. Choosing to avoid triggering another thought about the mage, the blond got dressed and headed out, checking out of the room on his way down.

As he left the hotel he turned left and headed away from the guild, and to the café where he'd agreed to meet his friends. He sat down at an empty table and ordered himself a coffee from the particularly attractive teenage waiter that served him. As he waited his friends joined him, a teen boy and a slightly older woman. "Hiya" the boy greeted, waving at Kibou as he sat down, "So… been to see your little _boyfriend_ again, last night?" he added. I shot him a look.

"Well actually, he's just dumped me" I retorted. The teen raised an eyebrow and smirked, looking to the women who sat down on a chair she brought over. "Well that's not really much of a surprise is it?" she asked rhetorically. The teen boy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I didn't hold much faith in you two staying together when all you did was fuck" he chuckled.

Kibou pouted. "Don't worry, I've still got some ideas on how to get close to him" he stated defensively.

The two others just laughed.

/

 **Natsu POV**

The guild was quiet. I sat noisily drinking and eating, trying to take my mind off of the boredom. "Stupid Gray…" I muttered to myself. Lucy and Erza both sat nearby, eying me every short while to check I was still where I was supposed to be; not with Gray. Eventually, after finishing another plate of food, I sighed and stood up. Erza immediately stood and came over. "I'm going outside to train, it's so boring in here" I said to her. The redhead shrugged and followed me outside, leaving Lucy within the guild. Erza sat nearby, but far enough away that I could practice my fire without worrying about her (not that I would anyways).

As I carefully controlled my fire, making different shapes and patterns in the air with it, I noticed a different scent approaching me. I cut off the flames and turned to see two faces; one smiling and one not-so-smiley. "Hey Natsu, long time no see" Sting beamed at me. I smiled and gave off a little laugh. "Hi Sting" I returned.

"Doing some training?" he asked me. I nodded. "So, I take it you're _not_ going to the meeting later today then, if you've got stuff like this to be doing" the White Dragon Slayer added. I shrugged.

"Well… er… I kind of managed to get out of it" I admitted. Sting laughed as Rogue stood talking with Erza.

"So where's Gray then, I'd have thought you'd spend your time with him?" Sting said to me, looking around as if expecting the Ice mage to pop up out of somewhere. I avoided his gaze. "I-is something the matter with Gray?" Sting asked, noting my sudden reaction to the mention of my boyfriend.

"Nothing's the matter… it's just… he kinda left me here today, said I shouldn't follow him" I mumbled. Sting shot a huge grin at me.

"Would that be something to do with why you two aren't attending the meeting then?" the Dragon Slayer asked slyly. I shot him a slight glare, however this faltered as I saw the mischievous glint in the other wizards deep blue eyes. Staying quiet, Sting took this as a silent confession. "Aww…" he purred slightly. I swatted at him, however he dodged to the side. "Is that any way to treat a visiting Guildmaster?" he stated cockily.

I grunted, "Yes, if he's annoying" I replied. Sting chuckled as Rogue came over, Erza disappearing inside for a moment. "Hi Rogue" I greeted the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

Rogue nodded politely. "Hello Natsu. I've heard you'll not be attending the conference this afternoon" he said.

"Yeah, because he's got a daaaate" another voice crowed. Happy floated down from above. I looked at the cat as he landed on my shoulder.

"Happy!" I hissed. The cat covered his mouth with his paws.

"Sorry Natsu" he apologised. I sighed, _Maybe telling him wasn't a good move to make_ I thought for a moment.

"You're going on a date with Gray then?" Rogue asked, unperturbed by the exceed's interruption.

"Of course, who else'd I be going with?" I asked rhetorically, before looking to Sting. "Although… now that it's come up, how are you two getting on?" I asked, a sly smirk forming on my own features now. Sting rubbed the back of his head and looked to Rogue; the unspoken question clear to even my own eyes, _Should we tell him?_

After a brief moment Rogue nodded and Sting met my questioning gaze. "Well, Natsu… don't tell anyone this but… we're kinda mated" Sting admitted. I widened my eyes slightly, which sent a blush to Sting's face that I had to admit was cute. Then I began chuckling.

"You're doing better than me" I giggled. Sting looked surprised for a moment.

"I guess we've been going out longer though, and at least _you_ got some kind of relief" the blond laughed back, even Rogue was smiling.

"It was three days after leaving the beach, we decided that it was finally time to admit it and well…" the Shadow Dragon Slayer trailed off. I nodded understandingly.

"It was about a week after that, that me and Gray decided to well…" I trailed off and Sting stopped suddenly.

"You've been talking about mating too then?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe… anyways, congratulations" I said, steering the conversation away from that topic for a moment. Sting nodded thankfully at me.

"Thanks" he said. I grinned brightly.

"Where'd your marks go then?" I asked. Sting furrowed his brows.

"Marks what marks" he giggled. I rolled my eyes, however it was Rogue who reacted, punching Sting lightly. Sting rubbed his arm as he spoke again. "Oh alright, they're hidden. We use a potion to keep 'em hidden to… avoid questions" Sting explained, "They're actually on our arms. Mine on my right shoulder, so is Rogue's". I smiled hearing this.

"You put 'em opposite your guild emblem!" I cheered, a little overly loud, taken in by the sudden realisation that I wasn't the only gay Dragon Slayer around.

"Yeah but… can we keep this secret Natsu?" Sting lowered his voice. I nodded apologetically.

"Sorry" I said more quietly. Sting smiled broadly.

"It's actually quite relieving that you're completely okay with this, I mean… I know you're with Gray and stuff but… I guess I'm just happy" he said. I patted him on his shoulder.

"Of course I'm okay with this. Anyways-"

"Master Sting, we need to speak with you!" Cyrus called from the guild. Sting spun and nodded at the Script mage.

"Okay, coming!" he called back, before returning to looking at me. I shook my head.

"Go on, _Master_ Sting" I said. Sting bowed his head apologetically.

"Sorry 'bout this Natsu. I'll speak to you later" he said, before rushing off with Rogue. I smiled as I watched the two stop, Rogue composing Sting before entering the building. Once they were gone I noticed Happy giggling.

"Don't say a word Happy" I said sternly to him. He nodded with his paws over his mouth.

 _Huh, I've never really told Gray about that marking stuff… maybe I should get a potion too… just in case_ I thought, as I resumed my training.

/

 **A little while later**

I was sitting outside, bathing in the fading sunlight. Even with my eyes closed, I could already tell who was interrupting me when I felt their shadow pass over my form. "Get up, I already know you're not asleep" the person said. I opened one eye and grinned up as I saw Gray standing over me.

"Don't wanna get up, you sit here with me" I mumbled back, closing my eyes. I heard Gray mumble something inaudible, before sitting down next to me. "See, it's pretty comfy here, isn't it?" I said to him, opening both eyes. Gray smirked at me.

"Guess so. Anyways… how've you been?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"Pretty good, since you, you know, ditched me _and_ used Erza as a damned guard. I've been stuck here all day too" I said, unamused. Gray chuckled.

"Sorry, but I woulda just told ya, and asked you to stay had you actually woke up this morning. But that doesn't really matter now, I came to ask you something" he explained. I raised an eyebrow in question, urging him to go on. "Would you, Natsu Dragneel, like to go on a date with me this evening?" he asked me politely. I kept a straight face for all of one second, before bursting into a bright grin.

"Course I would. Are you saying for us to go now?" I replied. Gray shook his head.

"No, I've still got one more thing to do, but I want to pick you up from your house at saaay… 7PM, sound good?" he explained. I pouted.

"You mean I won't get to see you again for a couple hours?" I asked. Gray nodded, and I sighed. "I guess that sounds good, although I wish you'd stay around a little more. Although, if you are going for just one more thing that means you've done most of your other stuff, right?" I said. Gray nodded again, and this time I smiled. "Then that means you don't have to use Erza to keep me pinned here. I just need half an hour or so to do some stuff myself, alright?" I stated. Gray smiled and reach over.

"Alright, I'll tell Erza to let you go. And if you really want me to, I can walk you to your house" he said. I smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Okay then, let's go. Oh… and we can go through the outside streets to avoid large crowds" I said. Gray nodded and we both got up.

"Let's go then" he said. _Plus, the outside way is ten minutes longer, so that's ten more minutes with Gray_ I thought sneakily, although the Ice mage already knew this.

/

A couple of hours later I stood tapping my foot impatiently. "Where the hell is he, I thought he said seven?" I questioned aloud, a disgruntled grumble sounding from the deeper part of my throat. "Maybe he's just late, it's only been a few minutes Natsu" Happy said from nearby. The blue exceed had helped me choose what to wear for this evening, and was well aware that he was _not_ to interrupt them tonight, so he had decided to 'surprise' Lucy with a sleep over. "I can't help being irritated Happy. I just really thought he'd be waiting here for me early, not having me wait for his late ass to get here" I complained, "It… makes me… I feel like I've got all these uncomfortable feelings inside my stomach and it really annoys me" I added. Happy sighed and landed on my head, patting a soothing paw.

"Natsuuuu, you're such an idiot. That's you being nervous, not angry" the cat pointed out. I pouted and reach up to pluck him from on top of me.

"What do you mean I'm nervous, why would I be nervous for a silly little date with Gray?" I queried the blue exceed. Happy rolled his big eyes at me. "You said yourself earlier that this was an important, special night. So, I'm guessing that you're gonna do something big" he said to me. I sighed, nodding, before letting Happy fly free. _Maybe he's right_ I thought, _Maybe I'm just nervous because we're supposed to-_

"Hey, Natsu!" A voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked straight up to see Gray barreling down towards me. He stopped just short of me, and composed himself. I eyed him carefully, although no unexpected or annoying gifts appeared out from hiding. _Good, I hate stupid couple-gifts_ I thought thankfully. "Well… sorry I'm late. I just… there was a little something I had to deal with" he apologised. I sniffed at him mockingly.

"Nah, it's fine. It'd just be like you to be late for something like this" I grinned cockily. Gray smirked at me.

"Really, because you looked pretty worried when I was running up, you didn't even notice my scent" he pointed out. I pouted.

"You're just seeing things that aren't there, popsicle" I stated, brushing off his comment. Sniffing the air I realised he hadn't put on any strong cologne, just faint traces of it on his clothes. _He did that for me, knowing I hate all those stupid strong smells_ I thought, realising all the little things Gray thought of just for me. Gray smiled and looked me up and down. "You look good, that shirt really suits you" he commented with a pleasant smile. I looked down at the deep red shirt I wore, along with the plain black trousers and shoes; it had taken me and Happy only a few minutes to find anything decent in my wardrobe, and this shirt just seemed to be the perfect fit for a nice time with Gray.

I nodded my head to the Ice mage and gestured for him to lead. "You look good too, just try to keep those on this time" I said with a slight chuckle. Gray laughed alongside me and we bid goodnight to Happy. The blue exceed snickered at our little comments, but did not comment himself.

/

Walking to the restaurant I couldn't help but think about what Happy said. _Am I really nervous about this? Why would I be, I love Gray… maybe I'm a little frightened that he'll back out of this but… no! He said he'd do it so he would._

"Right?" I said aloud. Gray stopped and looked at me.

"Right what?" he asked. I quickly realised what I'd done and looked sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, nothing. Anyways, where are we going first, to a bar or a restaurant?" I said. Gray sighed and shook his head.

"I knew you weren't listening, I already said we're gonna go eat first and then do something afterwards" he sighed, "Seriously, what's wrong? Is this about me ditching you with Erza?" he questioned. I shook my head.

"N-no… I just…" Gray furrowed his brows at me and I inhaled deeply, "I'm just a little… nervous I guess" I admitted to him. He took this in, meeting my gaze, before smiling.

"Natsu, that's normal, even on dates with people you've been with for a little while. In our case that would be _really_ normal, given… you know… what we've agreed" he raised his eyebrows suggestively. I nodded and looked at him questioningly.

"Does that mean you're nervous too?" I asked him, his scent gave nothing away if he was. Gray, however, shook his head.

"Earlier today, when I was planning stuff I was, quite a lot actually… but then I ran into Juvia. She did what she usually does, but then she kinda asked me if something was wrong, like she knew I had something on my mind. I guess she's kind of good at that" he said this warily, which was wise given I could already feel my protective instincts kicking in. "Anyways, I admitted that I was nervous 'about this new spell I was practicing' and she just reassured me that if it was me casting it then it'd be fine. Of course, that was a lie but still… it helped me" he said. I gave an even more confused look now.

"Why?" I said. Gray chuckled.

"Because it made me realise that even if I was nervous I… _love you_ … and so I figured no matter what it'd all be fine so long as I was doing everything with you. Does that make sense?" he asked me. I smiled brightly, an odd feeling rising in my chest.

"Gray… that's… I love you too" I bounced happily on the balls of my feet. Gray grinned back at me. "Does that mean your less nervous now too?" he asked me. I nodded my head vigorously.

"Yep, right now I just want to drag you to wherever and get this date going" I said. Gray smiled happily and nodded his head. "Come on, I've got just the place to eat" he said.

I followed him for a few minutes, before coming up to a restaurant I knew very well. "This place, but I thought you hated it?" I asked, seeing the sigh for my favorite restaurant hanging above us.

"I only used to say that because you used to always go there. I actually think it's food's pretty good" he replied. I beamed at him.

"Thank you! Come on!" I bounded on inside, Gray quickly following me in with a warning to 'slow down'. _Like I could after you said THAT!_ I thought as we went to our own private upstairs room.

/

We left the restaurant at around 8:30 PM. "Whew, that was so _good_ " I sighed happily. Gray laughed. "You ate waaaay too much Natsu" he stated, patting his own belly.

"Well I wasn't paying so…" I shrugged, giving Gray a cheeky grin.

"That doesn't mean you need to double the amount _I'm_ paying" he retorted, "Anyways, it doesn't matter since we're gonna walk it off" he added. I furrowed my brow.

"So we're gonna go somewhere else now?" I asked him. He nodded. "And I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me?" I added, which again he nodded at, this time with his own smile. It was now much darker than when we had entered the restaurant, and there were the first few pinprick lights of stars overhead. Gray strolled down the streets talking about several of the constellations he had learned about from Loke. I smiled politely and nodded, crushing the jealous ideas that kept springing uninvited into my conscious.

After about ten minutes, Gray changed direction and circle through a few side streets. Once we were off of the main roads, he took my hand, smiling. "Is this okay?" he asked, I nodded.

"Fine, it's not like there's anyone around to see" I said reasonably. _Although it's more likely you'd let go than me if there was_ I commented silently.

Soon we reached the end of rows of buildings, with only grassy and forest areas around us. "The park, are we gonna just walk around it?" I asked. Gray shrugged.

"Maybe. I know this is one of your favorite places in Magnolia" he said. I nodded in admittance, this was true, I always liked outdoor areas. Taking Gray's hand more firmly I leaned into his shoulder. "Is this gonna be a tour of all my favorite places?" I asked him sweetly. Gray looked at me.

"Would that be a problem for you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No it's not like I _don't_ like these places, and since you picked them it makes it even better bu-" I stopped talking instantly as a new sight filled my eyes. Whilst I had been talking Gray had made a smooth right turn and led us to an area hidden from view by trees, the same area I had admitted to him about mating. "Ta da" Gray laughed, taking in my reaction. I stood stunned; all around there were ice sculptures, some of dragons, some of me and Gray, there was also a single bench of ice in the center. "You… made all of this…" I breathed. Gray nodded a little embarrassedly.

"I wanted to do something really unique, something special… so I built these in secret at Lucy's place and then transported them here today" he explained. I could respond, words completely escaped me. "Natsu, do you like it?" the Ice mage asked.

I could speak, so I went with the one reaction I could do; I turned around and kissed Gray sweetly. Gray accepted the kiss and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close so I could feel the thump of every one of his heartbeats. When we pulled apart I grinned idiotically, although I didn't care. "I love it, I love all of it… I love you" I said excitedly. Gray smiled so warmly as I spoke those words that I just wanted to be stuck in this moment forever.

It was perfect.

/

"Sit down with me Natsu" Gray instructed, taking a seat at the ice-bench and patting the space beside him. I tool his offer happily, along with his hand. "I can't believe you thought of all this. How did you do it and keep 'em all from melting?" I asked him, moving so I could rest my head on his shoulder, his arm comfortingly around my waist.

"What do you mean 'How did I think of this', this is what my magic's all about; thinking stuff up and making it. And they didn't melt because I used a special combination of devil ice and my own" Gray explained. I smiled in a stupidly happy way as I marveled at the detail in Gray's works. There was about a dozen sculptures, all different sizes, however at the center of them, facing the bench, there was a paired sculpture of me, standing with a grin and ready to fight, Gray slightly behind me with his usual maker stance. "You even put in all the scars" I commented, noting the slight mark on the ice-me's abdomen. Gray smiled at the compliment. "I've seen you enough to know _every_ detail" he said, with a slightly wry look in his eyes. I patted his side. "Not yet, we can get to _that_ … later" I said. Gray pouted mockingly for a moment before shrugging slightly, the smile returning to his face.

"Okay… Oh!" he breathed suddenly, "I got you a… erm… present. Well, I got one for each of us" I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I told you that you didn't need to get anything" I said confusedly, however Gray laughed.

"I did it because I think you'll like it, and for no other reason, here" he said, pulling out from under the bench a small ice box, with a little present inside. Greedily I took it from him and opened the box, taking the wrapped gift out and looking to him. He nodded that it was fine for me to do so and a childish glee broke out inside of me. "Ha… what's this?" I said, pulling out a little crystal globe. Gray chuckled.

"Surprise!" he said, "It's a snow globe… well, a snow-globe lacrima". I turned to Gray and gave another look of confusion, before examining the gift carefully. Inside the crystal sphere there was a tiny figure of a dragon, beautifully crafted out of crystal-glass, and at its feet were two tiny figurines of me and Gray. "I had it specially made, if you charge it with your magic then it's supposed to have lots of little fires in it. I got one too" the dark-haired man explained, before producing another box, this time with an unwrapped snow-globe lacrima inside. Looking at Gray's I saw little figures of me and him standing side by side with our arms around each other's shoulders. "I had this one made from a photograph, it's from two winters ago, do you remember?" Gray said to me, a fond look on his face. I nodded brightly at him.

"Yeah, that was when they thought it'd be funny to make us be partners for the snowball throwing contest. We beat them all" I said. Gray nodded.

"We took this photo… I think it's probably one of the very few where we _aren't_ fighting" Gray said. Hearing his words, I noted the slight twinge of sorrow, and anger. _Gray… I know we fought but that was just me being stupid. I love you now…_

I set the special gift back in its box and hugged Gray tight. "Somehow you keep making this day better and better… I don't think I can take much more" I said. Gray laughed slightly at that and embraced me back. "So, do you want to fill your lacrima now?" he asked me.

I shook my head and buried it in his shoulder, taking in his scent. "No, can we wait until tomorrow morning. I want this to be the first thing we do as mates" I said. Gray nodded, a deep chuckle growing in his voice.

"Aww… That's actually pretty cute you know, Natsu" he laughed. I pouted, before fueling a bit more amusement to my eyes.

"Shut up, I'll not be this cute laaaaater" I purred. Gray rubbed my back slightly.

"I look forward to seeing my Dragon in action" he said back. "Although… do you want to wait just a bit longer?" he added. I furrowed my brows. _Why's he stalling?_

"That's fine Gray, do you have something else for us to do next?" I inquired. Gray shook his head.

"No, I just wanted to sit with you here for a little while longer. It's nearly 9:30, if we wait 'till 10PM then I can show you something really cool" Gray said. I smiled brightly.

"Sounds good, what is it?" I asked him. He grinned.

"Not telling, just wait. If you're bored I did have a little game we could play…" he said. I gave a little annoyed look, but perked up at the mention of a 'game'. Gray smiled cockily at me, "I wanted to see if you can guess what each of these sculptures is. They're all scenes from _our_ past, as well as a few beasts and other things thrown in" he said. I laughed childishly.

"You're on, and if I get 'em all correct you have to tell me what else you've got planned, deal?" I grinned.

Gray nodded. "Deal" he agreed.

/

 **Forty-five minutes later…**

"Natsu, that's from the Grand Magic Games. See the four dragons in an arena are supposed to represent you, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue" Gray sighed tiredly. Clearly his game had not gone as he planned, as now it was fifteen minutes over the time he had set, and in most of 'our time together' we had spent it arguing over the dubious meanings behind Gray's sculptures.

"I can't help it Gray, these are too hard" I complained. Gray sighed again and pulled me in close.

"It doesn't matter, there's only one left, and I think you'd get this" he said, gesturing to the last in the area. I looked closely at it.

"That's when Walter tricked me and you to fight and get to admit our feelings, right?" I asked, Gray nodded.

"Yup. The figure wearing gloves watching from further away is Walter, whilst the other two figures fighting each other, the dragon and the demon are me and you. Make sense?" he explained. I nodded.

"Yeah… so now can I see this thing you've got planned?" I asked. Gray laughed.

"I suppose we did spend a little longer than I thought at this, so yes" he said. I laughed gleefully, as brought out another crystal lacrima sphere. "Another gift?" I questioned, however Gray shook his head. "Put some magic in it and the real thing'll be revealed" he said. I did as I was told and fueled magic into the sphere, and after a few seconds an unexpected thing happened; all the dragons in the sculptures began breath a calm, gentle flame stream. As I fueled more magic into it, I noticed something even better; the sculpture of me in the middle began to glow. Gray clapped his hands happily as what he planned worked, and a cone of carefully controlled flames burst forth from my mouth, more flames appearing out of my fists too. "Gray… this is…" once more I was left breathless as I watched the dancing lights of the flames reflected across all of the ice. "It's beautiful, Gray I-" I stopped as I turned once more to the Ice mage beside me.

"Natsu," he started. I looked down to see him on one knee, _He's actually doing it_ I jumped up in surprise and happiness, "Natsu, will you be my mate?" he asked. I didn't even have time to do anything, before my body reacted on its own. "Of course I will! I love you Gray!" I cheered, grabbing the Ice mage up off of the ground and embracing him tightly.

"Ogh…" Gray breathed. I didn't let go of him for a minute or so, before I finally settle for holding his hand. "Natsu, are you ready to go now?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, this has been the best date ever" I said. Gray nodded and gathered up the two snow-globe lacrima, putting them in a more easily carriable container, consisting of a dual-compartment box. Once that was done he smiled, and holding the box in one hand, took my hand back in his with the other. "What about all this?" I asked, gesturing around. Gray softened his look slightly.

"Don't worry, it'll disappear on its own as we leave. It'll be fine" he said. I nodded, taking in the sight one last time, burning it into my memory forever. Gray patiently waited for me to lead him away, and as I did I allowed a couple of tears to fall. Gray said nothing about this, and we just quickly, and quietly, made our way home. _I'm so happy_!

Now it was time for the main event.

/

 **Walter POV**

I sat working at my desk, preparing things for the meeting the following day. In the initial conference, I had gone over what had already occurred at the beach, and also the passing risk that had been held over Natsu. In addition to this, I also advised the guilds on some methods to avoid any such things occurring in the future.

"Damn, so much to do" I complained. It was very late, and the guild was mostly empty, even Blake and Cyrus had gone to the place we were staying. Despite all the work I couldn't shake the image of a certain blond boy from my mind. _I wonder what he's up to… probably out looking for another 'good fuck'_ I thought.

Suddenly a knock sounded at the door. _Who the hell could that be?_

"Enter" I called aloud. I waited for the door to open, however as soon as I did I was instantly up on my feet. "Impossible, what are you doing here?" I said with an instantly venomous tone. The shadowy figure in the doorway said nothing, he just stood with a cocky grin on his face.

"Miss me?" he asked. I fueled my magic to my fists, however the assailant was quicker, and with a sudden leap they had me pinned to the wall. "I said, did you miss me?" they asked again, the glint of mischief in their golden eyes an annoying tone to the reversal I had just experienced. "Of course not. You should be dead" I spat.

The assailed shrugged. " _Should_ _be_ and _are_ , are completely different things. You're just lucky I came here without my entourage. I'm gonna have to deal with you more subtly than I would like but… oh well" they grinned. Before I could react again, a flash of steel and a large gash across my chest sent the world around my spinning.

"Damn!" I cursed as I felt the rush of blood over my form. The assailant left without saying another word, just a slight cackle, before they vanished into the night.

My last thought was a simple one; _Kibou…_

 **Chapter 33 End**

 **Next Chapter; Bonds Forever**


	34. Chapter 34 - Bonds Forever

**Chapter 34 – Bonds Forever**

 **Gray POV**

Natsu held my hand firmly as he strode across Magnolia, headed towards his house. I could do nothing but smile as he kept looking back and smirking, a flickering ghost of flame in his eyes that drew me in. He didn't bother taking the less populated routes, and stuck to, as I noticed quite quickly, the fastest path. _He really wants to get this done_ I mused, before my hands gripped the box with the two snow-globes in them, desperate not to lose the gift that Natsu had looked so happy to receive. As the scenery hurriedly changed from stony buildings to wooded plants and clinging bushes I slowed down. Natsu flicked his eyes back and stopped, his face the picture of concern. "It's only a short way along" he said, before his tone became more caring, "Is something wrong?".

I shook my head at his comment and smiled. "Nothing's wrong, I just… thought we could walk to your house and enjoy these moments, instead of practically running inside" I explained, hiding my face slightly. I felt Natsu's hand pull me closer to him and let go of me, only to wrap itself around my midsection. Smiling, Natsu leaned in and kissed me sweetly. "Sorry 'bout that, I just kinda got overexcited" he replied. I smiled back at him, and wrapped my free hand around his waist. "That's okay. I know how you'd be excited about this so it makes sense, but you don't have to force it so quickly. We have all the time we want to do this, right?" I said.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Although I _can't_ force you anyways, so me rushing was just because I really wanted to do this with you, that's all" the pinkette stated. I leaned in and kissed him again.

"I said it's okay, I know" I repeated, "Let's take a walk".

Natsu gestured with his free hand ahead and we both set off again at a slower pace. As the tree line broke off and the sight of Natsu's haphazard home fell into view I felt a slight twinge of nervousness. Remembering what Natsu had said earlier in our date, and how I had reassured him, a small voice, echoing myself, played out in my mind. _I felt less nervous so long as I did everything with you…_

Those words had a very profound effect on me and I entered the building without a single fear, the smile on Natsu's face the only thing I needed to be sure. _This is right._

As Natsu entered I noticed him waver slightly between moving towards the sofa and the bedroom. Smirking slightly at him, I rubbed a few circles in to his lower back. "I know how important this it to you Natsu, but slow down. I've got a few questions to ask first, okay?" I told to him. Natsu smiled and nodded, moving towards the sofa, and depositing me there. "Okay, do you want anything, water?" he asked. I shook my head and smiled again, noting his uncharacteristically caring tone. _He'd only ever let me hear him like that_ … _however even I didn't need Dragon Slayer's hearing to tell you're a little impatient_ I noted.

"No, I don't need anything" I said to the pinkette, who was hovering between sitting and going to get whatever I asked for. Without anything to fetch, Natsu sat beside me, a smile on his face that belied the nervousness in his eyes. "Right… so what did you want to ask me? I've told you there isn't much to this, right?" he said to me. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him as close to me as I could.

"Firstly, before we get into this I want to know two things; one, will anything change, or be different, and two, will there be anything that must be done, anything special, as part of the mating process, besides sex of course" I said straight forwardly, there was no point beating around the bush with Natsu since it'd only confuse him more.

The pinkette, for his part, seemed very understanding of these questions. Shrugging my arm off him, he turned in the seat so that his whole body faced me. "I can answer those Gray, although I have to admit that Igneel didn't really tell me this stuff in too much detail, and I didn't really understand it at the time. I learned this stuff myself as I got older" he said, an honest tone to his voice that made me smile again.

"That's okay, just answer with what you can" I said. Natsu nodded, but was a moment in composing himself before he responded again.

"Okay, so… with that first one, there won't be many changes, at least not for you" he started, "There are three things that begin when a Dragon Slayer mates. One; we'll always be able to find each other, because our scents will be stronger to each other" Natsu said. I nodded, and gestured that I understood this. "Two, and this is the more important one… I think… we'll be bonded" he spoke this as if this would make me change my mind.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Well… isn't the point of this, to form a bond?" I asked him. Natsu cocked his head and pouted.

"Yeah… but… it's kind of complicated. I guess I could say this'll make me a little more… overprotective… of you and stuff, because my Dragon Slayer instincts will drive me a bit more" the pinkette tried to explain. I nodded at this and sucked in air; _Natsu was already a little annoying with his instincts, however this could make him worse_ I thought, although I still didn't feel like this was a particularly bad thing. Natsu saw my reaction, so I decided to smile to reassure him. "Three" Natsu continued, seeing my smile, "to show our bond a mark will form. We'll get to choose where… but I know this is probably something I should have told you earlier" he stated. I heard his sudden nervousness and realised that this was what had been causing him the most trouble. _That's actually pretty sweet._

Smiling broadly, I ruffled Natsu's pink locks. "I don't mind about that. Just don't put it anywhere too… weird" I said with faint amusement. Natsu nodded.

"If we needed to, I know about a potion I can get to hide it, although if we tell people it wouldn't matter" he added, trying to reassure me further. I still smiled.

"It's fine. Although I do suppose that means I'll have to avoid stripping too much… to avoid questions" I said. Natsu grinned hearing this, and I knew he was glad for this. _Jealous Dragon…_ I thought with faint amusement myself.

"Besides that there'll be no other major changes. Although I might get a little… heated… around the same time every year" Natsu finished, a blush touching his cheeks. I laughed aloud hearing this, and noticed how Natsu's blush deepened.

"Awww… don't take this the wrong way Natsu, that just means I get to put 'Fun' on the calendar on a yearly basis" I giggled. The Dragon Slayer did not seem as amused by this and pouted.

"I s-suppose that's one way to look at it…" he muttered quietly to himself, before changing the subject. "Anyways, to answer your other question, there's only a little something you need to do, but it's nothing major" Natsu stated. I stopped my musing and eyed him up.

"What is it?" I asked. Natsu shook his head and met my gaze, a wry grin matching the amusement flickering in his eyes. _He's not gonna tell me, he's gonna use this to get me upstairs…_ I realised quickly, as the moment dawned on me that we were really going to do this. _Even after that I still love him too much to say no_ I added, making a mental note, however, to keep Natsu away from Juvia until we announced our relationship; increased instincts and a clingy Water mage did not bode well.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Natsu asked me, sliding forward slightly in the seat so his hands rested either side of my body. I nodded.

"Well, it's not so much a question as a… request" I said slowly. Natsu nodded with his head slickly cocked for me to continue. "I think that as mates, it'd… be okay to tell the guild. Does that sound alright to you?" I asked him. Natsu's face broke out into a large grin.

"That's great, I've already said several times, that I'm fine with telling people. If people don't like it then I'll make 'em, so you don't have to worry about anything" the pinkette grinned. With that announcement I leaned in and kissed him softly. Natsu pulled me closer to him, and I could feel the slight partition to his lips, however I refrained from accepting his unspoken offer. _Not yet…_

After a short few seconds Natsu pulled away again. "If that's all… I-I've got something to show you, Gray" he said to me. I gave this a few moments of thought, my mind cast back to the time Natsu told me about mates first. _Natsu said something then, that he 'had to show me it'… it must be to do with the mating. Either that, or he's just tricking me to get me upstairs_ I thought to myself with vague surprise, _Natsu wouldn't do something like that_ I reasoned quickly, before smiling at the pink haired Dragon Slayer. "Alright then, come on and show me" I said enthusiastically. Natsu's face brightened and he took my hand, standing up. I followed him up the stairs, my mind envisioning various different things, however none of them seemed to fit with what Natsu would react this seriously about.

 _What is it he wants to show me?_

/

As we entered his bedroom, Natsu deposited me on his bed, and I realised I had forgotten how I loved the feel of his soft mattress and smooth, warm blankets. "So… what did you want to show me?" I asked him. Natsu's face wasn't quite as bright as it had been, and he seemed worried about my reaction now. _He wants me to accept this… whatever this is_ I noted. The pinkette, in response to my question, moved to the bed and knelt down, fishing around underneath until he pulled out an old-looking, wooden box. "Here" he said, offering me the box. I accepted it and placed it down on my lap, waiting for Natsu to get back up and sit beside me. Once he had done that I turned to look at him. "Before I open this, I want you to tell me something, okay?" I said to him. Natsu nodded, clearly suspicious of what I had to ask.

"O-okay…" he replied.

"Is this important to _you_ , not important for the mating ritual or anything like that, is it important… to you?" I asked him. Natsu didn't even have to speak for me to know his answer; the flames of passion in his eyes were confirmation enough.

"Yes, it is. I just… I always wanted to show this to my mate, before we mated. It is important to the ritual too, though" he said. Nodding in acceptance of his answer I turned to look down at the box in my hands again.

"Okay, that's good" I said, opening the lid. Inside there were two objects; the first I barely had to look at to realise what it was, a crimson scale engraved with some kind of magic circle. _Probably Igneel's_ I thought, before my eyes were drawn to the second object. Beside the scale, placed with exquisite care into the plush inside of the box, was the smallest lacrima crystal I had ever seen, barely the size of my index finger in length, and width. "Natsu… is that… a flame in the lacrima… it couldn't be…" I quickly felt almost overwhelmed at being shown these objects. For as long as I had known the pinkette I had seen him treasure many things, the junk around his house was evidence enough of that, however I had never seen anything that could be so precious to him as these two objects in my hands. "Yeah, Gray, they're both Igneel's. The scale he gave me a couple of days before he left and the other… it was a present after the first time I learned to use Fire Dragon Roar. It's a lacrima with a tiny amount of _his_ fire in it" Natsu explained, looking fondly at the objects before returning his attention to my face, trying to gauge my response. _Natsu… these are…_ I was too overwhelmed to understand why Natsu had given me these right at this moment.

After a few moments of quiet Natsu cocked his head, "Gray?" he questioned. I turned to meet his gaze, "Natsu, these… are you're most precious treasures, aren't they?" I said. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, that was why I want only my mate to see them. Even… even though Igneel isn't around to meet you as my mate now, I feel like he can still… meet you through these, Gray" Natsu explained, eyes downcast. I smiled lovingly at the other man and reached out with my hand to lift his head, holding softly onto his chin. "These are amazing Natsu, I never woulda guessed you had anything like this… and I'm grateful, and very happy, you decided to share these with me. I love them as much as I love you" I said in as loving a tone as I could muster, before leaning in and kissing the stunned Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu kissed me back, soft and sweetly, and after a long, long while, we finally pulled apart.

"I _want_ to mate with you now, Natsu" I said with a grin. The pinkette nodded with his own smile.

"Good. Now… I need those two items back" he said, holding his own hand out. I nodded and closed the lid, giving them back to him, however he shook his head and opened them out again. "Why'd you… oh, right, you said you needed them for the mating ritual, didn't you" I realised quickly. Natsu nodded.

"When I was left alone, and I had these two things, I didn't really know what to do with them, but… it took a while, but I finally learned everything" he said, pacing over to the bedside table and putting the two objects on it. "What I needed to do with them with my mate" he continued, "The scale has the spell to form the bond, but… it takes a load of magic power to form the bond like that. Since I wasn't taught how to do it… I've got to use Igneel's fire".

I gave a slightly shocked look to hear this, "Natsu, you can't… I know how important it is to you, you can't use up that precious gift" I blurted. Natsu shook his head, sliding down onto the bed and prowling over to sit behind me, arms around my waist. "I have my scarf, and I'll have you. Besides, if I _didn't_ use the fire, then it'd be worse… because then I would be wasting something that Igneel gave me to use. It'd be just like never using my magic again; impossible" he smiled confidently at me. I felt my heart flutter in my chest at his words, and at his smile I loved so much. _Why does he only say so many amazing things to me?_ I thought for a moment, before the only real answer presented itself at the forefront of my mind; _Because I am his mate._

With that resolution, I kissed him for the last time as only his 'boyfriend', after this I knew I'd be his mate. "Natsu… if that's how you feel then… I think I'm ready to be your mate, properly" I answered him. Natsu chuckled a little.

"I though you already said you wanted to mate with me" he replied in a slightly cocky tone.

"Shut up, let's just… do this" I said. Natsu nodded.

"Okay, first we gotta strip".

/

 **General POV**

Taking off their clothes was the easy bit, Natsu was very willing to help Gray, and equally Gray was willing to help him. Standing naked in front of each other still made them feel _something_ , perhaps embarrassment, perhaps love, however this did not deter the pair. As Natsu rested Gray down on the bed, straddling himself on the Ice mage's lap, he reached over and grabbed the box again. "The spell on the scale is what gives us our bonding marks. We place it where we want the mark, then we've gotta put the lacrima on it. This'll make the spell work. Once this is done, there'll be no going back; we'll mate and-"

Gray cut Natsu off, "I get it. I want to go through with this Natsu, so you don't need to sound so afraid. I'm going _nowhere_ " he grinned. Natsu nodded, and he moved with a slight bit more confidence in his actions at the encouragement. "Although… do you have any idea where we could put those marks?" Gray asked a few moments later. Natsu nodded, but a faint blush formed on his cheeks.

"W-well… I had an idea but I want to hear what you've got to say first. It's kinda… silly" he said. Gray smirked.

"Go on, I won't laugh" he reassured the Fire mage. Natsu blushed a little deeper as he spoke his idea.

"I thought that we could put 'em on the left of our chests. Just because… that's over our hearts" he mumbled. Gray almost broke his promise, and had to stifle his laughter at the last moment, however not for the reasons Natsu thought. "I knew it'd be silly" Natsu whined. Gray sat up and patted Natsu's shoulder.

"It's not silly. It just took me by surprise that you'd think of something so… perfect" Gray stated. Natsu eyed him, and as their gazes met he realised Gray was serious.

"You're sure?" the pinkette asked. Gray nodded.

"As sure as I am that this is a good idea" he grinned. Natsu chuckled before pushing him back down onto the bed.

"Alright, if you're _that_ sure then…" he said, picking up the scale and the lacrima crystal. "Although, I still gotta ask you one more time; are you sure you want to be _my_ mate?" he added. Gray rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I've said it three times now, yes I want to be your mate" he replied. Natsu chuckled and placed the scale on Gray's chest, left of his guild mark, and over his heart. "Will this hurt?" Gray asked suddenly. Natsu shrugged.

"Don't know… but I don't think it would" he replied. Gray sighed again, that was a typical Natsu response; knowing all about the ritual, without knowing that simple little detail. "I'm gonna do it now, okay?" he asked the Ice mage. Gray nodded.

"I'm ready" he agreed. Natsu smiled and held the lacrima over the scale, fueling his magic into controlling Igneel's flame. Using exactly, half Natsu directed it down, over the scale, and it began to glow.

The magic circle activated and Gray groaned, gritting his teeth; it _did_ hurt. "Agh…" he breathed. Natsu concentrated on his spell, "Just a little longer, sorry" he apologised. Gray didn't reply, however after a few seconds the pain passed and Natsu deactivated his magic, lifting the scale off and marveling at the beautiful, flame-pattered circle that now emblazoned Gray's chest. "It's done" Natsu stated. Gray looked down with eyes widened as he took in the new mark. Brushing his fingers over it he smiled, "It's amazing" he breathed. Natsu nodded, before flipping the scale over in his hand and placing it with the circle now pressed against his skin. "I've gotta do me now… but could you help me hold the scale up?" the pinkette asked. Gray needed no other invitation, and gladly pressed on of Natsu's hands to the scale, whilst the Fire Dragon Slayer placed the lacrima on top. Gray took the opportunity to place his hand over Natsu's other, lacrima-holding, hand, and the two shared a smile, quickly followed by a kiss. As their lips met, Natsu fueled his power into the lacrima and released the remainder of Igneel's flame, fueling it once more into the scale. The burning pain felt in his chest was numbed as Gray slowly caressed Natsu's mouth with his own, and after a while it subsided. Breaking apart, the two grinned and Natsu took the scale and lacrima off his chest, looking down to see an identical symbol on his own pectoral. "W-well… now we've just got to…"

"Have sex" Gray finished. Natsu nodded and placed the now-dead lacrima, as well as the scale, back into the box, before meeting eyes with Gray. The two didn't say another word as Natsu placed his hand over Gray's mark, and pushed him gently into the soft mattress, before descending and kissing him again.

/

Natsu's lips tasted only Gray as his tongue invaded the Ice mage's mouth. "Mmph… Gray…" he mewled as his hands glided over his mate's paler skin. Gray moaned something incomprehensible back, which Natsu took to be his name. After a few minutes of deep, passionate kissing, Natsu moved from attacking Gray's mouth, to attacking his neck instead. The Ice mage moaned more verbally as the pinkette sucked in random places, searching for soft spots that would drive an even greater lust into the dark-haired wizard. "Ahh… Na-tsu" Gray yelped as Natsu gave a particularly soft spot some attention. The Fire mage grinned at the noise and repeatedly gave that same spot another few sucks, sending Gray into a short flurry of moans.

"That's so… good" he moaned as Natsu went lower, descending to devour his mate's body. As he did so, Gray took the opportunity to slide his hands down Natsu's firm back, squeezing and fondling his ass. Natsu yelped in surprise at the sudden attack, but then smirked up at Gray. "Touch it _alllll_ you want, it's _your_ ass that's getting it tonight" he said in his most sultry, dulcet tone. Gray couldn't help but grin at the comment, nevertheless he gave another squeeze all the same. "If you want it, come get it" he called on the hot-headed Fire Dragon. Natsu chuckled darkly.

"Oh, I will… but first… this is for all those damned times you _tortured_ me" he replied, before lowering his head down to Gray's chest, mouth trailing kisses all over, until it eventually stopped at the Ice mage's right nipple. Looking up, and locking eyes with Gray, Natsu lowered his mouth onto the already hardened bud and gave a few experimental sucks, tongue lashing out to increase the sensation. "Ahhh… agh…" Gray tried to stifle his moan, but failed spectacularly. Natsu grinned up, cocky and confident, before repeating the same motions on the other bud. Carefully, as Gray was distracted, Natsu slid his hand down to the aching member of his mate. Once he finished with the nipple he withdrew his head and grasped the base of Gray's shaft. Gray looked down, past Natsu, to see the grip; whilst it wasn't anything new to Gray, having Natsu take charge over his cock, it surprised him at how good the pinkette had managed to distract him. "Well… aren't ya gonna do anything?" Gray mused, noting how Natsu had yet to move his hand.

Natsu's grin spread impossibly wider, "You gotta do something for me first" he replied. Gray gave a look of confusion, but before he could ask, Natsu snaked his hand up to Gray's lips, two fingers pressed against the soft skin. "You gotta suck these to get me to… reply in kind" Natsu laughed. Gray's eyes widened at the Fire Dragon's sudden cockiness, and control, but as he looked more and more into those deep brown eyes he could see the predatory flames shining deep within; the look of a hungry Dragon.

Unable to contain himself for much longer, Gray happily took both fingers into his mouth, tongue covering them both evenly in a decent coating of saliva. Once Natsu deemed them slick enough he removed them and nodded, "Good little devil" he said with mock praise. Gray almost barked a retort however he stopped as Natsu lowered his head down so it faced Gray's groin. Using his slickened hand, he pushed the Ice mage's leg apart, before lining his first finger up with Gray's hole. "Ready?" Natsu asked him, to which Gray nodded in reply.

Taking Gray's speedy response to heart, Natsu wasted no undue time, and took the whole of Gray's length into his mouth. As the familiar taste and smell of Gray filled his senses, the pink haired wizard pushed the first digit in, slowly but firmly, ensuring he did not cause any unnecessary pain to his mate. Gray moaned and groaned as the pleasure of Natsu's mouth covered for the slight uncomfortability of having his finger inside his ass, however after a few moments it passed and he got pure pleasure. Natsu helped as much as he was able, moving his head up and down in a steady bobbing motion.

As he continued his bobbing he pushed the finger in and out of Gray's ass, in time with the bobs, until he realised Gray had stopped groaning all together. "Natsu… Natsu…" he moaned repeatedly. The Fire Dragon adored the sound of his mate, but he knew that it would take more than that for the bond to form, so he pushed a second digit inside. "Ahh… t-two?" Gray questioned in yet another moan. Natsu smiled around Gray's cock, before flicking the slit with his tongue. This action silenced any groans of complaint from the Ice mage immediately, and he began moaning again instead. "F-fuck… Natsu…" Gray barked loudly, as the pinkette scissored his fingers inside his mate. "N-ah…tsu… 'm gonna come…" Gray warned a few moments later. Natsu felt great satisfaction hearing those words, which manifested in the withdrawal of his head and fingers. Looking at him astonishedly, Gray groaned in frustration.

"Y-you… stopped?" he questioned.

Natsu nodded. "Yup, I don't want you coming until _I'm_ done" he said. Gray looked confused, the cloud of pleasure hazing his thoughts.

"Is this for all those times when you couldn't… couldn't come?" he asked. Natsu frowned for a moment and then shook his head.

"No. Although it was annoying, that was the only way we coulda fucked. I'm glad that we got to do that but… I just really want the first time we fuck together to be the first time we _come_ together" Natsu admitted. Gray was surprised by his show of care, however he also felt the same, no matter how desperate he was to come right that moment. "Natsu… that's another great idea…" Gray whispered, before leaning up and capturing the pinkette's lips.

Kissing Gray made everything inside of Natsu feel right, and as he pushed them both down onto the mattress once more, he smiled the brightest he had ever smiled before. "Okay Gray, are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked him. The Ice mage nodded, but then a flash of concern passed through his mind.

"Err… Natsu… do you have…?" he trailed off as the Fire Dragon Slayer reached down, under the bed, and pulled out a bottle of lube. "Well prepared…" Gray chuckled. Natsu smiled more darkly as he took off the lid of the bottle and poured a generous amount onto his own, aching member, before taking a small amount into his palm and heating it instantly with his magic. "Not as _prepared_ as you are" he laughed, before reaching his hand down. Gray mewled as the Fire Dragon Slayer smeared the heated liquid into his hole, before he grabbed Gray by the hips, and lined himself up. "Kiss me" Natsu commanded, a slightly feral growl to his voice now as he neared the final part of the mating; the part where he got to _fuck_.

Gray obliged, and as their lips connected, Natsu pushed his tip inside. "Ahh…" the dark haired mage moaned into the kiss, before Natsu quieted him with his tongue, making good use of the sudden opening. Their tongues battled between their mouths for a few moments, a small distraction for Gray as the pinkette thrust more of his member inside. Once he was fully seated within Gray's ass, Natsu finally pulled away from Gray's lips, and the Ice wizard smiled. "I'm okay Natsu, you've done enough and I feel okay… so you can move" Gray said after a few minutes of slow stretching from Natsu's cock.

Natsu didn't really think Gray was ready, however the inner Dragon wanted to claim, and after so long, and so much, Natsu found he couldn't really resist any more. With a throaty growl he pulled out to his tip, before slamming his cock back inside with one fluid thrust, quickly followed by another and another. "Gray…" he moaned, as he began a steady rhythm.

"Nat…su…" Gray moaned back as he felt the burn and the pleasure mix into one; Natsu kept thrusting, with increased force. "Fuck Natsu… so g-good… fuckkk…" Gray whined in pleasure as Natsu fucked him relentlessly. Before he felt himself be completely claimed by pleasure and instinct, Natsu aimed his thrusts, looking for that one spot that would drive Gray mad. "FUUUCK!" Gray practically howled. "Again… there…" he breathed a moment later. Natsu chuckled darkly, obliging the wishes of his mate as he attacked Gray's sweet spot.

Natsu's thrust came harder and faster until he was ushering pleasured moans out of his mouth uncontrollably, just as Gray had done so many times up to this point. Gray saw Natsu through lust-lidded eyes and all he could think was how beautiful he looked. "Oh God…" the Ice mage shouted abruptly as Natsu rammed down significantly harder onto his sweet spot, "I'm gonna… f-fuck… coming" he warned, only a second before reaching his limit. Gray gasped out his orgasm as ropes of hot white seed covered his chest. The sight of his mate covered in his own seed, and the muscular contractions causing him to tighten around Natsu's member pushed him over the edge too. "GRAY…" he moaned as he came inside his mate. "F-fuck… fuuuck… Gray…" he rode his orgasm to the very end.

Panting, body slick with seed and sweat alike, Natsu flopped down beside Gray, turning his head with a bright smile on his face. "That was fun… mate" he chuckled. Gray nodded, panting softly.

"Yeah… it was. You're great, you're… amazing Natsu, and I love you" he said, voice turning slightly sleepy. Natsu chuckled, running a hand through Gray's dark locks, before sharing one slow, loving kiss. "You're stuck with me now too" he mumbled to the Ice mage. Gray laughed.

"I could say the same to you" he retorted, before looking down at himself, cum covering his abs. "I should probably get in the shower… but I'm so sleepy" he yawned. Natsu nuzzled closer to him and threw the blankets over the top.

"Go to sleep, it'll be fine" he said. Gray looked at Natsu for a moment.

"But we'll be all sticky in the morning" he warned, remembering that Happy often slept with Natsu, although even he'd probably think twice if he saw them together as they were right now.

"I said it'll be fine… I'm tired too" Natsu mumbled. Gray shrugged slightly and rested his head on Natsu's.

"Okay then… if that's what you think then good night, you pink-haired pyromaniac" the Ice mage giggled.

"Good night, you pervy popsicle" Natsu retorted, before closing his eyes and settling into a deep, comfortable, slumber. Today they had finally done it; they were truly, and completely mated.

/

 **Natsu POV, the next day**

Gray and I awoke the next morning, a dull ache in Gray, and a slightly muscular ache around my groin acting both as reminders of what had transpired the previous night. After a couple of hours Happy had intruded to tell us that it was, in fact, nearly 10AM and we speedily got changed. Gray had been so focused on the new mark on his chest that I practically had to dress him, however despite that we were both very excited. Happy had, obviously, been the first to note the marks, and we quickly decided to just tell the exceed about us mating. He was very happy and supportive to hear this, however he quickly made the announcement that he would also be 'sleeping by himself' from now on. Gray had just laughed at that.

After a short debate about showering together, me and Gray quickly got ready and left for the guild at around 11AM, promising that later we would use the snow-globe lacrima he had bought. "So, does this mate's thing have any big changes Natsu?" Happy asked us as we closed in on Magnolia. I chuckled but shook my head.

"Nothing you need to worry about buddy. Besides the mark on Gray, and the bond, there's nothing that'll stop me from hanging out with you" I replied. Happy nodded enthusiastically.

"That's good, because I'd hate to have to go fishing all by myself. Or even worse…. if you two came along all the time the fishies'd all be scared off by your noisy _kissssssessss_ " the exceed mocked. I pouted.

"We're not _that_ loud" I replied "Right Gray?" Gray just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah… well, _I'm_ not that loud, anyways" he said, earning a giggle from Happy. I continued pouting.

"Oh come on, that's not fair. You're supposed to take _my_ side" I complained as we entered the town streets. Gray patted my head.

"I will, when your side's right" he said, before looking ahead. "Is that Lucy?" he asked. Ducking into a side alley on our way to the guild, Lucy dashed over to us.

"Hey, Natsu, Gray!" she greeted loudly. We both sighed; she was never the one for quiet entrances.

"Hi Lucy" I said politely, "What's up?"

"Oh… nothing" she said with an obviously suspicious tone, "I was just wondering what _you_ _two_ got up to last night… Mira said she thought she saw you head into some restaurant" the blonde added. Gray looked at me, neither of us had considered the possibility of being seen by our guildmates up until now. _Crap!_

"W-well… we…" Gray began, before another voice interrupted us.

"Hey guys, why are you all hiding in this alley?" it said. Looking to our side, we saw Wendy standing there.

"Oh… hey Wendy" we all greeted. _Great, another person. We can't admit it in front of Wendy… although Gray did say that he wanted to tell people…_

"Natsu and Gray, you're certainly looking happy" Carla said, appearing beside her Dragon Slayer companion.

"We are?" me and Gray said at the same time. Wendy smiled and cocked her head a little to the side.

"Did something good happen?" she asked us.

"No" I barked a little too quickly "Well… I mean, we fought this pretty mean looking Vulcan whilst we were training in the forest last night, and then we did just get these free sweets from a guy back there. He said he didn't need them and just gave 'em to a bunch of people… but…" I trailed off, as I ran out of things to say. Wendy giggled.

"Really, I love sweets. But… that fight must've been difficult for you to do when you were mating" the little girl said. This time no one had a response, we all sweat dropped.

"What?!" Carla exclaimed. _She's smelled us… damn it_! I cursed inwardly.

Gray looked to me, and suddenly I saw the steely resolution in his eyes. He nodded to me before he cleared his throat. "Okay… yeah… we've got something to tell you guys. As Wendy's just said, we're mated" he admitted, before taking my hand. Lucy looked to us for a moment, before squealing with delight. "That's great guys, you're so cute together" she said, giving us both a big hug. Carla seemed to still be processing this, so we looked to Wendy.

"Let me guess, you smelled it, right?" I asked her. Wendy nodded.

"Well… kinda. You see, I kinda already knew you were together when you came back from wherever you were sent to for a week or so. You smelled different, and when I asked Gajeel he kind of told me" the little girl explained "He said he'd been able to tell for a while now, and sort of explained what'd happen". I smirked and looked to Gray.

"Looks like we didn't keep it as secret as we thought" I mused. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, however…" he directed his attention to everyone, "We want to keep this a secret from everyone _else_ for a little while longer. We'll tell the guild once the conference is over, okay?" he said. Lucy nodded.

"That's fine guys, it's your relationship, however I _am_ really happy you got together" she said. I smiled and gave Gray a little kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, so am I" I laughed.

/

After our run in with Wendy and Lucy, Gray, Happy, and I all headed to the guild whilst the others attended to their own agendas. "I guess this means that the other Dragon Slayers will all know too" Gray commented, as we neared the guild building. I nodded with a slightly apologetic look.

"Yeah… sorry 'bout that" I mumbled "I should have thought about that before now". Gray laughed and patted my head.

"It's okay, you couldn't help it, at least it's not _everyone_ " he chuckled. I nodded and smiled, however this quickly faded as the guild filed into view. "What's going on?" Gray inquired with a vague look to the distant building.

I shrugged, "Don't know, but it must be something pretty big, everyone's running around like crazy" I said, noting the faint figures darting around the nearby area. I turned to Gray, who nodded, before we both set off at a fast pace towards the guild.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" I asked Macao and Romeo, who were near the entrance to the guild. The older Fire mage shook his head grimly.

"Master asked us to tell you to go the infirmary when you got here, it's Walter" Macao said flatly.

"He's been stabbed, and it looks like poison too" Romeo added. I looked with surprise to Gray, "Does Wendy know, we just saw her on our way here" I said to the pair, _if she did she gave nothing away_.

Macao gave a slightly wide eyed look. "Everyone's out looking for her, do you know where she went?" he said. I nodded, however it was Happy that spoke up.

"Aye sir, I'll go get her" he said, before flying off at high speed. We watched the cat go, before Gray and I charged inside in search of our Guildmaster and the others.

/

Walter lay on the bed, a large gash across his chest. "Damn it…" Cyrus panted, a stream of blue and green symbols flowing forth from his hands, to seemingly no avail.

"What happened?" I whispered to Erza as we watched the display. The scarlet haired mage shook her head dismissively.

"No one knows. Sting found him like this earlier. We thought he was dead but… there was a faint, very faint, heartbeat" she said stoically, obviously prepared for the worst.

Watching on I analysed the scene, Blake stood back, a potion ready in his hands; when we had entered, he had been using it on Walter, however Cyrus had taken over with little effect being had by either of their efforts. "Who could do this?" Gray looked almost angry. The question had already come to me too, however like him and all the other bystanders, there was no answer. _Walter's fast, and a specialist at close combat… they would've had to take him by surprise_ I thought cautiously.

"Where is Walter?" another voice chirped up, quickly followed by the entrance of the Sky Dragon Slayer herself. Everyone looked with mild surprise as the normally shy and clumsy girl barged in so confidently and moved over to the patient. Sparing no time for questions, she stood beside Walter's bed, opposite Cyrus, and began summoning forth her soothing, pale blue light. "This is bad, the bleeding can be stopped but… it just starts up again if I change to fix something else" she said after a quick analysis. Cyrus nodded in concurrence with the assessment.

"It's some kind of magic poison, however I think it's demonic in nature. My magic will slow it down, but it will kill Walter in 12 hours if left, assuming the fool doesn't die of blood loss first" the Script mage said in a cold, logical tone.

I narrowed my eyes on him. "Isn't there anything-" I began to speak, however Cyrus flicked his gaze over to me and shook his head coldly.

"No. I'd need the poison, and even then, it'd take me and Blake at least three hours to synthesize such a complex magic antidote. We need to find the person who did this and-" Cyrus was cut short as noise erupted from below in the guild hall.

"What in blazes was that?!" Makarov called, only a few seconds before Mirajane appeared.

"Master, there is someone outside insisting on speaking to one of the Triplet Code. They say they are the ones who attacked Walter" she said in a pant; she had run straight upstairs to the room.

Makarov nodded at Blake, who gave a frown. Cyrus and Blake shared a look before Cyrus withdrew his magic. "Blake, take over, I'm going to deal with them" he declared boldly. Blake quickly took off the top of his potion and a pinky-purple vapor rose up and covered Walter's chest. Makarov gestured for everyone to follow him out of the room, except Wendy and Blake, and as he did so a faint murmur escaped Walter's lips. We all turned in surprise, trying to hear what he was saying.

"B…lond… boy…" he whispered.

Confused, we all tried to process what he said. _Was that a description of the person who attacked him?_ I thought briefly. It became clear as we stepped out of the guildhall, where a lone person was stood, surrounded by wizards. Unfazed by them all he grinned at Cyrus. "So how's the patient?" they asked. Cyrus gave a scornful expression as soon as he locked eyes with this newcomer.

"I knew you'd be a problem the moment I saw you" he retorted. Gray and I both took a moment to recognize the person standing before us. _The boy from the bar?!_

"Ah, so Walter told you about me, then I suppose I should reintroduce myself" Kibou said with a smile, his blond hair following his movements as he bowed lowly.

"I am Kibou, the Nightmare of Hope" he cackled, flinging a daggered look straight up at Cyrus.

 **Chapter 34 End**

 **Next Chapter; Faith through Fear**


	35. Chapter 35 - Faith through Fear

**Chapter 35 – Faith through Fear**

 **Natsu POV**

The words resounded clear as day across all assembled, "I am Kibou, the Nightmare of Hope". Flinging daggered glares at Cyrus, the boy called 'Kibou' laughed, however no one moved and his laugh died as he looked about himself. "I see you've not told everyone, judging from their blank looks" he commented in a childish tone, obviously annoyed at the lack of reaction, eyes now sweeping across all faces, "Although I recognize a few here… not just from that beach either, hello Masters of Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale" he grinned.

I had to quickly suppress the surprise and anger I felt at this boy's actions. _He can't be Hope, Walter killed him_ I thought, _He must be another enemy pretending to be him… Although… he does act the same… and I guess there could be other Nightmares who could have brought him back like he was going to do on me_ I added. Turning my head to Gray, I saw the hardened eyes and slight tensing of his body, nodding at him briefly, a slight twinge of concern was felt in my chest, before I faced this assailant. _It doesn't really matter if he is Hope or not… all that matters is he attacked one of my friends_ I reasoned. "So you were brought back quicker than we thought, Joy must've believed you to be more valuable than we gave you credit for" Cyrus spoke, taking a couple of steps closer to the Nightmare.

Hope giggled. "Awww… you _actually_ thought you'd killed me… how amusing!" he declared, much to Cyrus' surprise.

"You mean you survived?!" the brunette barked. Kibou nodded.

"Indeed. I used a timely cast of my Hope for Time, and a quick illusion to feign death. It took me nearly a week to get to my allies, and then a few days of recuperation before I could return here. Plenty of time to come up with this nifty little plan" the Nightmare explained, folding his arms and holding his head boldly, unafraid of the angered glares me and Gray were throwing at him.

Cyrus nodded. "I imagine it wouldn't have taken _you_ that long to come up with something like this, Walter being so annoyingly transparent and all" the Script mage agreed, causing Kibou to chuckle, "However… there is one flaw you seem to have failed to notice…" he added. The blond boy cocked his head with a smile.

"And that was…" he tapped his foot impatiently. Cryus smirked.

"You asked for a Triplet Code member to see you, _and_ you gave away your presence" he chided, before a blur of action overtook his form. In a fraction of a second a barrier of runes surrounded the area around him and the supposed 'Hope', stopping any of the wizards assembled from interfering, me, Gramps and Gray included. Kibou glanced around at the walls. "You're intending on taking me on one on one?" he mused, "I guess that could be fun… although you're not much in close combat if I recall" he added.

Cyrus laughed, an odd sound, one that no one had really heard come from him before; triumphant yet cold. "You think me stupid enough to do that?" he stated, "I'm not like Blake and Walter, emotions hold no place in me. I erected this to minimize collateral damage" he explained. Kibou's eyes went wide.

"Colat- Agh!" he sputtered, as hundreds of runes, overtook Cyrus' right hand, a bright array of red, black, white, grey, and orange. _He had been preparing that from the start!_

Before Kibou could react further, Cyrus slammed his hand to the ground. "Rainbow Script; Ruling of the Cataclysm" he commanded, sending his spell into the ground. It was a moment in activating, a long, long moment. After that moment, although it had only been a second or so in reality, I saw an explosion of flame and lava and earth which completely overtook the blond boy's form. "AHHHH!" Kibou cried out as the spell hit him dead on. Cyrus grinned, although only for a few seconds.

After the spell was finished we all tried to see what had become of Kibou through the clouded arena of runes, eyes squinting. "That's impossible, even for you" Cyrus said after a minute or so, taken aback as Kibou stepped out of the smog unharmed.

"Nothing is for me. Did you like my acting by the way, just thought it might make you feel better about your pointless little spell for a few seconds" he rebuked, earning a scolding look from Cyrus.

"How?" the Script mage said flatly, earning a mocking laugh from the blond.

"Well… I _did_ have a week to blow, so what did you think I'd do?" he replied cryptically, before answering his own question, "These new magical spells I learned are really quite interesting, add them to my other abilities and I'm really quite a monster" he giggled.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "I saw no spell" he said, tapping his eyes. Kibou nodded.

"Well I wouldn't expect you to, since I wasn't the one casting it" he replied casually, "You see, I already mentioned my entourage, didn't I? There are more than just me here this fine day, I brought along my close associates, and on them I have a Body Link Magic spell which renders me completely invulnerable to magical, and physical, attacks, at the price of not being able to take more than two steps from the point of casting it" the blond explained, gesturing to the area beneath his feet.

Cyrus smirked, "So why'd you cast a spell that would leave yourself so open?" he asked. Kibou giggled.

"Because I know the _one_ thing that'll get even you a bit frantic, Mr Stoic" he said, "Each of us, me and my allies that is, has a lacrima containing a very powerful poisoning spell. I don't like resorting to this cheap trick but here it is…"

"Unless we defeat all of you by a certain time of the day they go off and we all die, right?" Gray butted in. I flicked my gaze to my new mate, surprised by his show of boldness despite all that had been revealed so far.

Kibou pouted, "Gonna ruin all my fun are you, Gray Fullbuster?" he asked in a childish tone, before reverting to his more mocking-yet-menacing one. "Never mind, yes that is the case. You have until 7PM, oh… and they have orders only to reveal themselves to a select few, namely those of you who frustrated me so greatly on the beach. Besides that, there is nothing more I have to say" the blond bowed. "I do _hope_ you put on a good show" he grinned.

Cyrus sighed and deactivated his barrier, before quickly summoning up a new, smaller one that just confined the Nightmare. "Seems like he has put me in quite the bind. No matter, Natsu and Gray-" the Script mage began, walking back towards me and my partner.

"Ah, one other thing" Kibou butted in again. Cyrus spun on his heel.

"What, forgot an insult?" he asked. The Nightmare shook his head.

"I went to all this trouble, yet you don't seem to understand the nature of revenge; it's no fun if _they_ go together like that so…" he clicked his fingers and a shimmering portal appeared beneath mine and Gray's feet. "I think I'll be separating them, the others may go as you see fit" Kibou giggled.

I barely had time to look at Gray before the sensation of falling over took me. "Gray!" I barked, reaching out for my mate, my new instincts to protect him calling out a fraction too late.

"Natsu!" he shouted back before we each disappeared into separate portals. _Damn it!_ I swore mentally.

/

 **General POV**

"Where did you send them?" Cyrus barked suddenly. The blond boy shrugged.

"They've been in enough battles together against me to become annoying and boring to watch. Let's change it up, they've been moved to the two locations where my associates are waiting. We'll see how they fair alone… although… if I were _you_ I'd be sending some support. The Spider and the Silver Tounge won't play around as much as me" he giggled. Cyrus's nostrils flared in frustration, turning his head to the assembled group as the role of leader was suddenly thrust upon him.

"Right… so it _is_ them" he stated, trying to return to his usually stoic demeanor, "If that's the case then I guess I'll have to go help Natsu. If I'm right at who he's sent each one too… then it'll be Natsu who'll need my help" the Script Mage reasoned, before looking to Makarov.

"Who do you need to help?" the old Guildmaster said quickly. Cyrus smiled slightly, pleased at the old man's show of foresight.

"It's best to keep as many eyes on _him_ as possible" Cyrus gestured to Hope, "However… these two _are_ dangerous… so I suggest sending Erza and Lyon to help Gray. We also will need someone who can restrain Natsu if necessary so… I've got an idea" Cyrus blurted. Looking at the confused group he rearranged his plan in his head before speaking. "Right, here's how it's going to work; Erza and Lyon will begin with me and set off towards Gray, whilst I head for Natsu. Sting and Rogue will come with you to locate Gray and then they will head off to find me. If you find a dense fog, or feel as if there are multiple opponents be wary, both of the people we are going to face are skilled in the art of Illusion. It's best to be on your guard and don't get split up" Cyrus explained. Everyone around the brunette nodded in understanding and the required wizards all stepped forward.

"You heard him. Everyone else keep an eye on this boy here. Should he move or try to escape then restrain him at all costs" Makarov barked. Cyrus nodded and then set off into Magnolia town, where the next opponents awaited them.

/

 **Gray POV**

I felt the air rush around me as I slipped through the portal, a slight pop sounding as it closed behind me. "Damn it!" I cursed as I hit the ground ass first, "Where the hell did he send me?" I said a few seconds later. Looking around I could see nothing, save an eerie, white mist. _Creepy_ I thought, rubbing my lower back as I stood up. "It doesn't _look_ like Magnolia, but… I don't think he could've have sent me too far away" I gauged, looking at my surroundings. I could make out the slight silhouette of a few buildings on either side of me, as well as the cobbles beneath my feet. "I wonder if Natsu's in the same situation…" I voiced quietly, walking in a very small area around where I landed. "Natsu!" I called out a few times; if the Fire Dragon Slayer was nearby he would surely hear me.

There was no reply.

"Natsu!" I continued calling, "Are you here?!" I added walking in a random direction. After a few steps, I could hear something. _Was that Natsu?_ I thought, whirling around. "Natsu?!" I shouted once more, this time with success. "Gray! I'm over here!" a voice sounded out; definitely the pinkette's.

Following the repeated cry, I wandered south, quickly doubling back and taking a right turn, until I found myself facing a solid wall. "Huh?" I snorted in frustration, "I'm sure it came from this way… maybe there's a way 'round?" I thought aloud, before something struck me. "Looking into the alley I noticed a few torn posters and other rubbish – familiar rubbish. "I know this alley… this… was where we told Lucy and Wendy this morning…" I thought slowly, making sure that was true, before reaching my next conclusion. "So I must still be in Magnolia" I decided at last.

With this new realisation I headed straight out of the one-way route. If I was in Magnolia, then that meant the guild wasn't too far away, and with what I knew about this town I could easily get back even with this fog. Striding down the streets I began to notice other slightly familiar spots and soon my suspicions were indeed confirmed.

"I am in Magnolia, and if Natsu is too then he should also be able to find his way back" I stated to myself. As I talked another figure rose out of the mist in front of me, grinning. "There you are, I thought I'd lost you" Natsu beamed. I smiled back at him.

"Hah, so much for separating us. I knew you'd find me, did you use your nose?" I asked the pinkette. Natsu nodded.

"Yup" he said. I looked my mate up and down.

"Are you okay?" I asked concerningly, _It's not like him to keep his distance, I thought he'd jump all over me as soon as he found me_ I thought, _Maybe he's just high strung 'cause of the situation.._.

Natsu just shrugged in response to my question. "Yeah, I'm okay, just sore from that landing" he stated, before turning to look behind him into the fog, "I can smell people coming. It's Erza and the other's, we should head out and meet 'em" he said. I nodded.

"Yeah, okay but-" I began to say, however Natsu started walking. "Wait, Natsu" I called out, reaching out for the Dragon Slayer and taking hold of his shoulder. Natsu turned to look at me for a moment, before he vanished into smoke and mist beneath my touch. "What the hell?!" I exclaimed in surprise, jumping back a short distance.

"Was that a hallucination?" I said after a few seconds of recovery, "I've only been in here for a couple of minutes, I couldn't be going crazy yet… unless this is something to do with that mating bond… or Wakaba's playing some trick with his Smoke Clones" I added. Looking around I could see no sign of the pinkette anymore, nor any sign of the 'others' who were supposed to be coming. "Maybe that was all a trick?" I voiced, before my ears tuned in to a new sound; a whistle.

Turning towards the source I saw a faint figure striding towards me out of the mist, a teenage boy. "Hi there" he grinned, giving a slight bow of his head, before continuing to whistle his little tune. I looked at him suspiciously and readied myself for combat. _The vibe this guy's giving off is kinda like Hope's… he's one of the other Nightmares_ I noted. The young teen just walked around for a few moments, finishing off his tune. I analysed him carefully, he had dark red hair and stunning silver eyes that seemed to dance with amusement; _Just like Hope_ I analysed mentally. Once the boy was done with his whistling he looked directly at me, undoing the top button of his pastel yellow shirt, before sliding his hands into the pockets of the black trousers he wore. "Sorry about that, once I've started something I'm in the habit of finishing it" he apologised with a smile. I offered no response, so he sighed "Not much of a talker, eh, well that's gonna make this more boring. Regardless, I heard your little comment… likening my power, my _perfect_ illusions, to a simple Smoke Magic spell, bah. All those ' _clones'_ are nothing more than mere gas-men" he spat the word in emphasis.

I looked at the boy funnily. "Who the hell are you?" I demanded, getting quickly annoyed by this newcomer's poor manners and attitude.

The boy laughed. "Oh right, I should probably tell you my name, since it's good manners and all. I believe that fool _Walter_ , or should that be Prime, calls me Trickster. Hope's in the habit of calling me Silver Tongue too… although in actuality I'm the Nightmare of Faith, and it's a pleasure to be your murderer this evening" he smiled.

As soon as he finished his sentence I immediately fired a flurry of Ice Devil spells at him.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I saw Gray's image flash before me as I fell into Hope's trap. Landing in a crouch, I sent a burning glare around at my surroundings. "Gray…" I growled lowly, instinct-driven anger rising inside, a roaring inferno nearing explosion. "I gotta find him" I thought immediately, scenting the air.

A dense mist surrounded me on all sides, making it impossible to tell where I was now. "That stuff… it's magical… smells funny" I said, taking in only the odd aroma of the fog as I searched for my mate with my nose. Suddenly a thought popped uninvited into my head, sending me back into my instinctual protectiveness. _Magic means enemies are nearby… Gray could be in danger_ it said.

With that realisation I began charging forwards through the mist, desperately trying to catch any faint scent of Gray that would tell me where he was, _if he's nearby_ I added mentally. Eventually my panicked search came to a halt, and I swiveled around in place. Dampened by the mist, but still present, a cacophony of familiar smells assailed my Dragon Slayer nose. "I'm still in Magnolia then" I reasoned, "That means Gray will be too" I added, trying to calm myself a little through the security offered from this most familiar place.

Taking in a deep breath through my nose I finally caught what I wanted; the piney, fresh-snow scent of my mate. Focusing solely on that scent I followed the trail it left, walking with a hurried slowness, a mixture of desperation to see my mate, but at the same time caution not to lose the scent trail. Continuing in my journey through the swirling mist, another thing came to my attention; the faint shape of a few shadowy figures. _Enemies_ I thought quickly, readying my magic should it be needed. Following the trail still, I noted a few more figures ahead of me, so I crouched low and approached as quietly as I was able. _Three… no… four… They look weak so I should be able to take 'em_ I thought, watching my prey carefully. Although the mist would be a hindrance to some, it wasn't so bad for me, with my senses and strength it provided me with good stealth whilst still allowing me to detect foes, a boon I didn't usually have. As I got closer to the figures though, my crouch was quickly lost. From my new view, I saw that another person was pinned down beneath a couple of the figures, whilst the other two took turns tormenting them. Ignoring the burning feeling in my chest at the distraction from my search I charged out, screaming madly. "Get off them!" I barked.

The figures all looked, although they were humanoid, they were definitely not human. _Probably some creature summoned by the blond boy who sent us here_ I thought, as I rushed the creatures. Looking over at the person I stopped dead; Gray was laying pinned down, a vicious slash covering his chest. "Gray…" I breathed, before flames over took my body, "GRAY!"

I charged forwards I knocked the nearest two figures away with fiery fists, sending them sprawling away into the cover of the fog. The other two tried to block me, however with maddening furry driving me I did not think about anything more than the form before me; Gray's bloodied form. "Fire Dragon Roar" I commanded, sending a wave of flame at them. Before it connected, however, the two creatures grinned unearthly, and faded into mist themselves. Confused, but too angry to care, I rushed to Gray's side, listening for a heartbeat, or his breathing. "N…atsu…" he looked at me.

"Gray, I'm here, please be careful, I gotta get you outta here" I said quickly. Gray shook his head.

"I'm sorry… b…ut…" he collapsed before he finished his sentence. Stunned I almost began to cry, until I scented something new. Looking back down at the dead form of Gray I gritted my teeth. "Gray…" I breathed again, before sending my fists crashing down into his form. "You're not Gray!"

Although the trick had been effective at a distance, close I noted the odd smell, and as my fists crashed down, my suspicion was proven true; the image disappeared in a puff of shimmering mist. "They tricked me with an illusion… that… thing… smelled like Gray, but then when I got close… I could tell he wasn't…" I stated, getting up and looking around once more. Despite being in Magnolia, the mist made it impossible for me to tell where, I couldn't even see any other people. But I _could_ smell _something_. "I know you're there, I can smell ya now" I called out after a few moments looking around.

Swiveling around in place, I turned and saw the mist part and a beautiful woman walk in. She wore a purple and gold outfit, and carried herself with an air of superiority that I immediately hated. "Well done young man, sensing me through the mists. Did you like my little gift, that's what my partner will be doing to your _mate_ any second now" the women said in greeting. I scowled at her.

"Gray would never be beaten like that, he's too strong for _anyone_ to beat" I growled back at her.

The women laughed, a deathly hollow sound. "Is that right… I seem to recall Hope, oh sorry… Kibou, saying something about having gutted him like a fish when they battled along that beach" she stated. I narrowed my eyes at her, anger rising in my chest at the memory.

"Shut up… he wouldn't…" I called flames up, "He wouldn't die, because he knows if he did I'd kill him" I shouted, leaping forward, going to land a fierce punch on the women's side.

Before it connected, however, something show out from behind her and sent me sprawling to the ground; a three-taloned spider's leg. "What the… what are you?" I asked her in surprise.

The women laughed again. "Oh yes… introductions" she said, before opening her arms wide, four more spider's legs uncurling from her back, "I am the so-called 'Spider Queen', the Nightmare of Fear, and you, my dear pink-haired boy, are caught in my web" she stated, a cackle sounding out from her throat.

I just growled and jumped up, flames of pure hatred wrapping around each of my fists. "I don't care if you're the Demon Queen, anyone who even _thinks_ about threatening Gray will be burned to a pile of ashes" I said, before beginning my attacks again.

/

 **General POV**

Cyrus, Lyon, Erza and the Twin Dragons charged through Magnolia's streets. Cyrus' ever watchful eyes darted around, searching for any sign of attack. There was none, although, that could be said about the streets themselves too; not a single person could be seen. "Faith must have used some kind of trick, or illusion to keep everyone inside. That minimizes the number of other people running around and spotting his hallucinations" he said aloud, earning a slight nod from Erza.

On the way, Cyrus had already explained about the illusionary prowess of the two they would be facing, and although he could only guess which Nightmare was fighting who, the details he gave them all about their abilities did strongly support his beliefs. "If I am correct, then we are heading towards Gray's position now, where Faith is fighting him. He looks around Walter's age, but don't be fooled by any false smile he gives you, he is very dangerous. He goes into every battle assuming he's going to lose or die, and so he holds nothing back" Cyrus added a few moments later. Sting scented the air in front of them as he was told this new information.

"I can smell something up ahead" Sting called out. Cyrus looked to the blond for a moment, before fixing his gaze ahead, rainbow colours filling his eyes.

"Yes, I can see the mist, it's just up ahead" the brunette stated, before gesturing for everyone to stop. They all did and Cyrus deactivated his Eye magic. "I think it's best we split up _before_ you enter the fog. Sting, you come with me so we can locate Natsu, and Rogue, Erza and Lyon, if you continue then you should be able to find Gray" Cyrus said flatly. Erza and Lyon nodded in agreement, however Sting looked confused.

"I thought we'd agreed to all find Gray whilst you go off after Natsu" the blond White Dragon Slayer stated. Cyrus nodded, but his face showed a withdrawn look.

"Yes… but the situation might be a bit direr than I thought. Judging from the thickness of that mist, and the strength of the spell, Faith has not even begun to use his full power, and since it's been a little while since Gray and were taken then… it must mean Gray's already being fooled by the tricks and isn't succeeding against Faith. If that's the case then I may need help finding Natsu more quickly, understand?" the Script mage explained. Sting nodded and gave a slight look to Rogue, who didn't react.

"Alright, let's go. Keep safe Rogue" Sting said to the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Rogue nodded.

"Don't be tricked by what you see Sting, I know what you're like" Rogue stated back with a sly smile. Sting nods and then turns to follow Cyrus as Erza and Lyon faced the direction of the fog, Rogue coming up beside them.

"Gray's had quite a few bad memories, it's likely they will be used against him" Lyon stated coolly. Erza nodded in agreement.

"We don't let our troubles show, however I know how bad it can be to face up against the bad parts of our past. Gray's had to face them several times, Deliora, Ur, Ultear, his father… we must save him, as his friends" Erza declared. Lyon smiled slightly and nodded.

"Let's go" Rogue insisted. At that they all rushed forwards, towards the spiraling mist.

/

 **Gray POV**

I panted heavily, my magic power slowly exhausting, yet with not one spell having hit that Nightmare. "Is that it, ran out of juice?" Faith's annoying voice sounded out, his form stepping out of the mist once more. I sent a daggered glare at him.

"I'm not done yet…" I breathed. The Nightmare just laughed amusedly.

"If this is all you can do then I just have to wonder how that noisy pink idiot is doing. Perhaps I should have picked him as my target… then again he is probably doing about as well as you" Faith mused. I laughed darkly and retook my usual Ice make stance.

"Natsu is too strong to be beaten that easily" I stated, channeling my magic to ready another attack. Faith sighed and tapped his foot impatiently.

"When are you going to stop being so damned delusional. You _can't_ beat what you can't even _hit_ " he said with an eye roll.

"That's a funny comment coming from a guy who let's all his illusions do the fighting for him" I retorted, earning a shrug from my opponent. Before he could come up with another comment that would most likely succeed in pissing me off, I sent a blade of ice slicing through him, only for his form to fade into mist, just like all his other illusions. _Yup, another illusion. I don't think he's ever gonna come and fight me directly…_

"That's seventeen illusions of me you've attacked" Faith's voice sounded out from within the fog.

"Well come out and fight me if you don't want to make it eighteen" I replied with a casual anger; this guy was way more annoying than Natsu had ever been before.

Laughter played out in the cloak of mist, dark and menacing. "I think I'm done testing your aim, and done playing around; let's see what it'd take for you to lose that annoying mental fortitude" Faith declared, another version of him stepping out of the mists.

I grinned at him. "So you want to make it eighteen then?" I questioned him, forming an icy sword in my hand. The boy shook his head. "No, I'm going to see how far I can really push you. Ever since you stepped into this fog I have been slowly reading your mind and collecting data, and now… I've got the perfect opponent for you to fight" he grinned evilly at me, before another person stepped out of the mists beside him.

"Hello boy" Silver Fullbuster, my father, greeted. I looked blankly at the illusion, images of the last time I saw him, in Tartaros, filling my head. Faith giggled gleefully.

"Exactly as I'd expect, now… Mr. Silver, if you would be so kind as to destroy your son" Faith gestured for Silver to step forward. The Ice Devil Slayer sighed.

"Sorry 'bout this, but I have to do it" he said. I nodded, the tattoo that gave me my own Ice Devil Slayer power pulsed. I held my arm for a moment, before hardening my resolve. _It's only an illusion_ I thought, _My real father died, and then died again later_ I added.

Silver smirked. "Let's see how well you use _my_ power" he said. I nodded and felt the flow of Devil Slayer power emanate from my right arm.

"Let's do this" I smirked, sending a blast of purple devil ice at my opponent. Silver laughed and dodged the attack.

"You'll have to do better than that" he said.

"I'm just getting started" I retorted, charging up my magic to full. Faith smirked and his eighteenth incarnation faded into the mists.

"This'll be fun" he said gleefully. I was too absorbed in beating my father to notice the slight shift in the mists.

 _I'll be this illusion… then I'll find that damned Nightmare brat and beat him too_ I thought viciously.

/

 **Natsu POV**

"You're one strange lady. You keep blocking all my attacks with those creepy spider legs" I said, warily circling my opponent. The women maintained her annoyingly perfect poise as she stared down her nose at me.

"Dear me, you haven't been able to land a single attack yet. I had hoped for a bit of fun, after all Hope talked about you I thought you might be at least able to provide a little entertainment. I suppose I shouldn't have expect anything though…" she mused. I growled at her, however she glared back. "That isn't a noise a civilized person would make, do you think yourself some kind of beast?" she asked.

I gritted my teeth; the more this woman talked the more I wanted to tear her limb from limb. To make matters worse my inner dragon was make increasingly louder demands for me to find my mate. "I've gotta finish this quickly" I muttered to myself.

The woman, so-called Fear, scowled. "Muttering isn't polite boy, speak up if you've got something to say" she reprimanded me. I grinned, I could feel the anger fueling my magic.

"Oh I've got something to say to you all right, it's right here!" I declared. Surging forward with flaming feet, an immolated fist aiming directly for the Nightmares face. She smiled and as I neared I stopped midflight; Gray smiled at me, before a blade ran through his chest. I shook my head and as the illusion vanished, I realised that the woman had too. Laughter rang out around the streets. "That was too easy. One look at your mate and you stop… but one picture of their grisly demise and you go white as a sheet. If you want to beat me dear, then you're going to have to do so much better" she giggled from within the mist.

"Damn it, stop hiding!" I barked. More laughter followed my comment.

"No. Come find me" she retorted. Suddenly two gruesome figures shot out of the mists, twisted creatures somewhere between human and serpent. I struck them both down instantly and charged in the direction they had come from. An arena of mist swirled about the place a short distance on, clear vision within a circle, where the mist was holding back. _She's doing this deliberately…_ I thought quickly.

As if she read my mind a confirming laugh rang out. "I think it's time I see how good you are, Natsu Dragneel. Show me your power, and let's see how long it'll take for you to break. In this place, you will fight all the creatures you are most afraid of" the Nightmare stated.

I snorted, "There ain't nothing I'm afraid of, lady. Bring it on, or stop wasting my time and tell me where Gray is" I shouted back, fury and annoyance filling my voice.

An audible sigh sounded out. "Are you sure there isn't anything you're afraid of… saaaay… this" she said, before a figure stomped out of the mist. I jumped a little at the sudden appearance, however it did not frighten me too much. Staring me down was a large, monstrous-looking creature, with three bird-like heads atop long, sloping serpentine necks and a grossly bulbous body. I smirked, "That's not really that scary, it's just a big ugly bird. And I _know_ it's an illusion so it can't hurt me" I stated.

"Is that so?" the women said, before the beast roared loudly. I readied my fists, preparing to take it down in one strike, just like all the other illusions. It screeched as one of its heads came crashing down. Suddenly a slight twitch of my nose caught wind of something and I dodged to the side at the last second, right before the creature's head impacted upon the ground, sending bits of stone everywhere. "What the-" I breathed, "It's real?"

The Nightmare's hollow laugh sounded out once more. "Yes, my ultimate power; Illusion of Bravery. With this power, I can make any creature I want real, so long as someone is afraid of it" she explained. I furrowed my brows.

"But I'm not scared. It's just a big bird" I called out.

"Yes, that is true… however, there is more than just you here" she said gleefully, "Before we executed our plan, me and my partner put every person in Magnolia into a deep, restful sleep. Within their dreams I can gather any nightmarish creature they think up and make it reality. Behold my unlimited store of imagination, and as long as the people fear their nightmares I can utilize them against _you_ " she cackled maniacally. My eyes widened; _She has that much power?!_

"I'll still… beat you" I said, faltering for a moment.

"Really, you don't sound so confident" the woman said, as she walked out of the fog with as much precise elegance as she had before. I glared scornfully at her, before eyeing up her monster. "If you really want to show me that resolve then you know what you have to beat" she said, gesturing to her side, where her creature called out in high pitched screeches. I gave it no more time and charged.

"Fire Dragon Roar" I commanded, spewing forth flames from my mouth. Up until now I had kept my magic use to a minimum to make sure I had enough to helped Gray once I found him, however now was not the time for it and I decided instead to use it to beat this woman and her creations as quickly as possible, then I could see Gray sooner. The flames burst over the creature and it cawed in pain, before dropping down and dispersing into mist. The Nightmare woman clapped her hands unenthusiastically. " _Very good_ " she said sarcastically, "Now how about something a little more interesting" she added. After another moment three figures leapt out of the mist; these were a lot more familiar. _What? But that's… Mira… and Erza and…_ I couldn't bring myself to look at the last creation for too long. _Gray…_

The Nightmare laughed. "Ah, so you recognize them" she giggled. I glared at her, burning hatred in my eyes and soul. _I hate these Nightmares… I'll kill them all_ …

"Of course I do, but I thought you said you could only create what people were afraid of" I questioned angrily.

The women nodded, however another fourth person walked forward from the mists, a very recognisable person. "Yes she can" they said, "And many people in this town have seen the scary, destructive power of Fairy Tail. It's only natural for a few of them to be frightened" Natsu said with a grin.

I looked confusedly at myself for a moment, before a grin spread across my features. "So you're going to force me to fight my friends… well at least I know they can't really beat me… But I never thought I'd get to fight _myself_ " I laughed.

The Nightmare laughed all the more to hear this. "This should be a _very_ interesting battle, but however can you bring yourself to strike at your very own mate" she said. I sighed, with all my protective instincts I knew I could never bring myself to hurt Gray, however… this was an illusion…

"That's easy, I'll do it for you" Fake-Natsu said after a moment. I looked stunned for a moment, before the pinkette turned to the illusion of Gray, and struck him repeatedly until he was doubled over, gasping in pain. He eyed me with great hurt in his eyes. "Natsu…" he breathed. I felt sick watching this display, however the other me didn't stop, he kept attacking and beating Gray. I felt helpless as Gray was beaten to near-death in front of me, even though I knew it was an illusion. I fell to my knees and a great burning sensation emanated from the mating mark I now had on my chest, a burning sensation that spread quickly to my heart.

"I can't… you can't…" I stuttered, despite all my boasting I found myself completely helpless watching this scene. The Nightmare grinned wickedly as she watched my despair.

"Ha, I knew there was something's you feared. You can't hide your emotions from me, Dragon Sayer" she cackled.

Before I could sink any lower, or the illusion Gray could gasp any harder, a new sound burst forth from within the mist.

"White Dragon Roar" it called, before a piercing beam shot through the illusion of Gray and me, sending them back to tendrils of mist. Still shocked, but for different reasons, I looked over to the source of the beam as Sting and Cyrus came barging in. _Are they… illusions?_ I thought confusedly, I couldn't really be sure of anything anymore.

The Nightmare scowled at them. "Impossible, how could you find him?" she said. I smiled; that was all the confirmation I needed that they were real.

Sting smiled. "A Dragon Slayer's nose cannot be tricked so easily" he said, before looking to me, "Natsu, I saw what she was doing, are you okay?" he asked me. I smiled wearily, but stood up.

"Y-yes… I just…" I began; however, Sting shook his head.

"Don't worry, I woulda been the same if it was me and Rogue" he reassured me. Cyrus analysed me with his usual critical gaze, before facing the Nightmare once more.

"Hello Spider Hag" he said. The Nightmare smiled viciously.

"That's Spider _Queen_ " she corrected, "Although it doesn't matter, with Walter on his death bed, and Blake too busy to attend, you cannot hope stand up to me alone, Script mage. I will succeed in killing another Code, and then another will die soon after" she added, with an evil cackle.

Cyrus smirked as I walked over to join him. "Who said he was alone?" I asked her, "After all, I'm still gonna burn you to a pile of ashes, twice now for showing me _that_ " she just glared at me.

"Very well then, I guess I'll have to use my most powerful ability" she said, before darkness engulfed her form. "You will not survive this, damned humans!" she called out angrily.

Cyrus grinned. "Okay you two, this is where it's going to get tricky" he said.

I nodded and looked at Sting, who smiled. _I will kill her, and then I will kill that bastard Hope too…_

 _No one mess with Gray, even a fake one… not like that_!

 **Chapter 35 End**

 **Next Chapter; A Coded Victory**


	36. Chapter 36 - A Coded Victory

**Chapter 36 – A Coded Victory**

 **Gray POV**

"Damn" I cursed as I was sent sprawling, my father grinning down at me.

"You call that a Rage?" he laughed. I muttered under my breath, standing once more. Since beginning this fight I seemed to have spent more time on my ass than time actually fighting. "You're more annoying than last time, are you really made outta my memories?" I asked cockily, sending a small look to Faith, who stood aside, allowing his illusions to fight as usual. Silver grinned at me.

"I'm Silver Fullbuster, the Ice Devil Slayer. I am immune to your puny ice spells, if you wanna beat me you're gonna have to use that power I gave you" he laughed, before a sudden drop in temperature told me he was going to attack.

"Ice Devil Rage" I bellowed quickly, almost exactly as my father uttered the same words. The two attacks exploded against each other and battle of wills ensued, our powers trying to get the upper hand. Although my father, or rather the illusion of him, was certainly strong, perhaps nearly as strong as he was in life, I was well prepared for a fight like this, and I knew just what to do from last time. Whilst my mouth was busy maintaining the icy stream, I charged a small amount of power to my hands. _Ice Make; Cannon_ I silently commanded, a frozen cannon appearing beside me. Before anyone could notice I loaded it with icy cannonballs, and had it fire. The attacks, although ineffective at hurting him, did have the desired effect, and Silver was distracted enough for me to gain the upper hand with my Devil Slayer spell. "Agh… they're not going to affect _me_!" he crowed. I laughed a little cockily as I charged forward. _They don't need to be effective, one successful attack, one good attack, and I'll be able to break this illusion_ I thought. Charging forward, beam of Ice Devil Rage keeping me slightly out of my enemy's view, I prepared what I required. _Ice Make…_ I began to think, as I finally leapt up, out of the way of my father's attack. "Cold Excalibur!" I barked, blade of solid ice forming in my hands, mixed also with my Devil Slayer ice. My father seemed to both smile and grimace as the blade surged forth, down to meet him, however it was delayed by something. Or rather, someone.

"Gray!" Natsu called out. I froze for a second, only a second, however it was still all the time my father needed. As my blade crushed the hastily crafted illusion of the pinkette, the illusionary Silver Fullbuster jumped back out of the way. "Well that was close, however… that looks tasty" Silver stated, before I felt his hands grasp the end of the blade. Sinking his teeth into its surface he consumed it all and I had to give myself some distance, or risk remaining in close proximity to another of his Devil Slayer attacks. I swore and glared hatefully at the younger teen whistling nonchalantly in the corner of the battlefield. "If you're going to insist on us fighting, surely _you_ don't need to _cheat_ as well?!" I barked at him. He shrugged and grinned shrewdly, an annoying calmness to his actions. _Why do they always seem so cocky?_

"I just thought I'd make this a little more interesting, for it to end so soon would mean I'd have to bring out something else for you to fight. Even you probably don't want that… _I might just choose to give you the fight you wanted as a child_ " he stated. I quickly realised to what he was referring, and a new fear rose in my chest. _He'd make me fight Deliora… so he must have that kind of power…_ I thought with dread. "Hey kid, stop spacing out" Silver's voice called to me. I looked back to the illusion, only to find a bow and arrow of Devil Ice being pointed directly at me.

"You get distracted in combat and stuff might happen that you wouldn't like" he laughed. My eyes went wide as he fired the attack.

"Ice Make; Shield" I commanded quickly, a barrier forming to slow the arrow. Using that time, I quickly leapt to the side, and the attack sailed past me into the mist. Silver cursed and called forth another attack, however I began laughing; seeing the icy attack, and seeing the illusion of Natsu had given me an idea. _The ice is slowed by my ice… when I struck Natsu it felt weirdly solid despite how flimsy those illusions normally are… and Silver hasn't gone down with all the little attacks I've managed to hit him with. He's more solid and his attacks are too, so… There is a way to beat them!_

"What are you smirking at?" Faith asked suddenly.

I laughed at him. "Thank you, that little cheat of yours has given me an idea" I said to him. The Nightmare did not look as amused as he had a few seconds ago. I laughed as I formulated my plan in my head, enjoying the confused looks of the Nightmare too. "Why are you laughing, you do realise that if one of _his_ attacks hits you, it _will_ kill you, right?" Faith queried, gesturing to Silver, who had readied another arrow attack.

"I know he can hurt me, he's more solid than your other illusions… kinda real" I stated. Faith nodded and a slightly prideful look touched his face for a moment, however cut him off before he had even began speaking again. "However… I'm ending this… now!" I shouted, charging my magic up for another spell. Faith went wide eyed, obviously interpreting my moves and predicting what I wanted to do. "Ice Make; Silver" I called, using my spell a little quicker than he was able to command his illusion to fire.

At my command, and the sharp swipe of my right hand, a wave of freezing power was unleashed, quickly striking the illusion of my father. The ice crept around the area, and as it touched the mist I saw exactly what I expected; the mist froze and disappeared, as did my father and Faith, who each dissolved into little snow-like, misty tendrils. _I knew it… the Devil ice in my sword froze the Natsu illusion as it struck, that's why it felt like striking icy water_ I thought smugly. Turning around I saw the mist was swiftly dissolving back, leaving a large area frozen over, but otherwise fine and clear. Eventually it receded to reveal another person; the real Faith.

"Well… without my cover, and with my illusions gone you've managed to locate me. Well done" the teen Nightmare stated sarcastically. "You've got an annoying ability to learn… however I am not beaten yet" he added.

I nodded smartly. _That training against Walter in the forest was worth it… at least I can control my freezing power a little better_ I thought, memories of seeing the bloodied form of the Requip mage still fresh in my mind. "I'm ready, let's fight" I said. Faith laughed.

/

 **Natsu POV**

A shadowy substance had quickly overtaken the women before us. Sting and I scented the air, and both scrunched our noses up in disgust. "I… am so much… stronger…" the Nightmare of Fear wailed. The four spider legs in her back seemed to elongate, her form becoming more fluid as it changed shape. We were all transfixed by the sight, and although it only took a few seconds, it felt so much longer. At the end of the process the women emerged as a much more horrific creature. Where there had once been human legs, she now had a bulbous spider-body with six clacking talons. Her upper half held a human torso, with her body only loosely covered by a few remaining scraps of cloth, but perhaps most disturbing was the twin snake heads that towered out of each of her shoulders, vicious vipers that bellowed forth a torrent of hisses. The women's face was twisted into a wicked smile as she unveiled her form, all the poise and fake smiles gone in favor of this horrible shape.

"She's… huge" I breathed. The Nightmare cackled.

"Was that a reference to my weight?" she said sharply, before a spider leg came assailing down on my position. I leapt swiftly out of range, looking to Sting, who whistled.

"She's got a worse temper than m'lady" he stated, before balling his hands into fists, "However she's much slower, and a _lot_ easier to hit" he added. I smirked and allowed hot balls of flame to form around my fists also. Cyrus observed us both, a faint smile on his face. He quickly whispered an instruction to us before we charged, "Give me some time".

Nodding, Sting and I faced off against the so-called 'Spider Queen'. "I still owe her for those stupid illusions of me and Gray" I shouted, rushing forward and trying to strike at her human form. Before my attack could hit one of the snakes intercepted it and sent me sprawling back to the ground as Sting tried another tactic. "White Dragon's Roar" he bellowed, a stream of pure light surging forward towards the creature.

The Nightmare of Fear laughed. "Pathetic" she cackled, before the other snake shot out. This time it opened its mouth and a sudden eruption of concentrated white mist was forced forwards to counter the attack. Sting, who had already ceased roaring and had prepared another offensive, ran up towards the spider-women and charged his magic. "Holy Ray!" he barked, although he was too slow and was knocked away by a sudden spider-leg to his side.

I used the opportunity to get close. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame" I commanded, flames forming a sphere in my hands. This time I anticipated my opponents counterstrike and leapt up in enough time to fire the spell. Fear's smiling face suddenly turned to one of surprise, and she used her much larger form to jump just out of reach of the subsequent explosion my attack caused. Turning to face me, she scowled gravely. "I am growing increasingly bored with you, Fire Dragon Slayer" she stated, sounding too much like Erza when she was scolding me for my liking, "I think it's time I unveil my second power…"

Holding up her human hands above her head, she called forth her second ability. "My sticky webs will keep you tied down" she stated, before webs formed in her hands and surged forth, wrapping around mine and Sting's torso's and pinning us on the ground. As soon as I felt the cold substance around me I struggled, to no avail. Turning to search for Cyrus, I caught a few glimpses of him through the new web-wall that had formed between the sides of the street. "Now with you two trapped here, I can _really_ have a bit of fun" Fear giggled. Sting looked to me worriedly, as two figures stepped out of the mist; Gray and Rogue. _Illusions… not again…_ I thought, as a pang of protectiveness shot through my chest. It didn't last long, however, as the two illusions were quickly killed by the sudden emergence of some giant worm-beast that swallowed them, chewing up their forms gruesomely. _Gray!_ I screamed internally, despite knowing it was another illusion. Fear delighted in our reactions, and as the worm dissolved into mist yet another pair of figures emerged into view. Gray and Rogue.

"Let's see how many times I can kill them before you break…" Fear mused. I watched in horror as Gray was suddenly split in two by an axe-wielding demon, Rogue swiftly following.

"Rogue!" Sting called out. I glanced over to the blond, who was struggling desperately in his web cocoon. _He's just as bad as me…_ I thought solemnly; this was a cruel punishment for a mated Dragon Slayer. As another Gray was killed before my eyes I felt a sudden surge of anger. _I should be protecting Gray… he needs my help… even if he isn't really here, he's still out there fighting and I gotta help him…_ the thoughts quickly took root. Instinctively I drew out flames, powered greatly by my anger.

The crimson burning overtook my form quite quickly; however, it was only then that I felt the constricting feeling release. "The web melted?" I voiced, leaping up quickly. Fear's head snapped around to stare at me, a fierce gaze in her eyes as she saw me freed. "You've escaped?!" she hissed, entire form turning to face me, no new Gray or Rogue clones emerging from the mist as her attention was driven elsewhere. I smirked.

"Yup, looks like your webs aren't any match for _my fire_!" I stated, before rushing over to Sting's side and freeing him also. Sting looked up to me hopefully.

"Thank you, Natsu. I thought I was gonna go crazy for a second there" he smiled. I nodded.

"Me too… well… I _did_ kind of go crazy, but that's how I got free so it's okay" I laughed. Sting laughed a little, before turning to our opponent once more. "That's five times now you've made me see Gray die… so I'm gonna kill _you_ five times too!" I growled at Fear. The Nightmare smiled.

"Pathetic. You may have escaped _one_ of my webs, but I have others, whilst _you're_ still pathetic enough to be fooled by mere _images_ of your mates. How do you ever think you're going to win against me as you are now?" she smirked.

Before we could even offer an answer, another voice interjected. "Because they followed what I said" it called out. Suddenly Cyrus landed, having sliced his way through her web wall. His eyes were cold and steeled, clearly her appearance did not bother him one bit. "I think it's time _I_ do something" he said, before he slammed his hand down on the ground. This pose was familiar, and as another vast array of runes overtook his arm, a deep mixture of blue, green and black, all sinking down rapidly into the earth, we remembered his abrupt attack on Hope earlier. "Rainbow Script; Ruling of the Torrent" he called out.

At those words a great rumble was heard all around us. Sting and I looked around confused, our confusion growing as the temperature of the air suddenly dropped. Cyrus just smiled as Fear screeched, a sudden burst of icy water erupting forth directly beneath her. The force of the water attack assailed her high into the air, however she recovered quicker than we expected, using her sticky webs to pull herself out of the attack before it was complete. Cyrus sighed, before smirking again, as the women Nightmare, now well drenched, clambered back towards us. "Natsu, use your flames. Now!" Cyrus barked at me flatly. I was startled by his sudden command, however I complied; something about his tone told me I had no choice in the matter. "Fire Dragon Secret Art… Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" I roared, flames rapidly enveloping my fists as I unleashed one of my strongest attacks in the vague hope it hit its target successfully, ending the fight once and for all.

Unfortunately, that did not happen, and as Fear screeched once more, a wall of green webs stopped my attack. "My second web… Constricting Webs" she panted, as my most powerful attack was completely negated. I pouted in frustration, quickly returning to Cyrus and Sting's side. "This web is immune… to all magical attacks…" she continued, in a few breaths. I noticed her change in demeanor, and another thought struck me. _Why did she not scream when we attacked her before, but screeched so loudly when me and Cyrus used our attacks… she obviously could save herself from them…_ I was left with lingering questions.

Cyrus, I noticed, was observing me carefully. "You've realised?" he asked me as I returned. I furrowed my brows.

"Realised what? That she screamed?" I asked confusedly. The brunette nodded.

"Yes… you see… there's a little bit more info on this Nightmare than what I've said so far" he began. Sting looked confused.

"There is, what do you know then?" he asked Cyrus a little impatiently. The Script mage broke into a smile.

"The Nightmare of Fear, as she is, is a master illusionist… however, her name is not ironic. She does not just do what she does to cause fear in other people… she herself has nearly every phobia imaginable. Even the form she's taken now is just a manifestation of her own personal fears" Cyrus explained. I took this information in, but was still left confused, and with my own questions.

"Why did that make her scream though?" I asked the Triplet Code member.

"As a point of interest, when Walter and I last encountered her we attempted to see just how many fears she had. Three of her biggest fears are our advantage in this fight; Thanatophobia, or the fear of dying, is her biggest and means she will never put herself in harm's way, however she is also strongly afflicted with both Cheimatophobia, or the fear of feeling cold, and, more amusingly, Thermophobia, the fear of feeling hot" Cyrus chuckled.

I absorbed once more what he was saying, and a grin broke out over my face. "So you used cold water… and then got me to use fire so she was afraid" I looked for confirmation from the brunette, who nodded.

"Yes, when she is properly afraid, she will not fight to her best ability. Now we've gotten her scared it will be easier to beat her" Cyrus stated, before looking over to the Nightmare we faced.

"Are you done… book worm?" the women stated, now back in her human form, but looking significantly more ragged. Cyrus nodded with another chuckle.

"Yes, let us end this" he said to her. The Nightmare nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't have put it better myself" she laughed, before her four spider legs each arced out of her back, "I think it's time to use my final web… the web of the Puppeteer" she said.

Cyrus shot a warning look to each of us. "Be careful" he stated, before our fight began again.

/

 **General POV**

Erza, Lyon and Rogue all made their way cautiously through the mist. Every few steps Rogue would scent the air again, checking for any sign of Gray, before they would continue again. "I don't think we're going to find Gray from in here, we might need to try observing from outside and then picking a path through" Lyon commented as the trio continued their search. Erza shook her head, grasping the sword in her hand tightly.

"If they are as powerful an illusionist as Cyrus said, then it's likely us splitting up will cause more problems" the redhead stated. Lyon nodded understandingly, looking ahead. Suddenly a great chill overtook the three. "Did any else just feel the temperature drop?" Erza questioned quickly, as the wave of cold passed. Lyon smirked.

"Seem's Gray is _definitely_ in here, who else could have caused such a freeze" the Ice mage said. Erza turned in place, observing Rogue, who was still trying to find the Ice mage with his nose. "Can you smell anything?" she asked the Dragon Slayer.

Rogue shook his head. "The mist dampens the smell… Sting and I aren't as good with our noses as Natsu is, but… I don't think it matters, look" the Shadow Dragon Slayer stated, gesturing for them to observe ahead. Following the wave of chill air, the mist itself seemed to be fading, and the path ahead became more clear. "I think I see someone" Rogue said. Erza and Lyon squinted, before they too began to see the movement ahead of them.

"Let's go. That could be Gray" Lyon stated. Erza nodded, however she did not proceed without a great level of caution.

"Be careful for any illusions though" she stated.

Moving on the trio neared an area completely devoid of mist, with only two figures standing within; one was Gray, whilst the other he faced off against was a teenage boy with dark red hair, his silver eyes glittering with mischief. "Gray!" Erza called out to her teammate. The ice mage glanced over in her direction, before a smile formed on his face.

"Just in time guys… don't worry about any illusions, I dealt with all them, and now you can help me deal with him" Gray stated. Erza nodded and immediately flicked her gaze at their opponent.

"Who are you?" she demanded flatly. The young boy grinned.

"Well… I'm known by many names; however, my designation is the Nightmare of Faith" he replied. Erza nodded, as Lyon and Rogue came to stand on either side of her, Gray slightly ahead of them. "Regardless of their intrusion…" he continued, eyeing Gray up, "How the hell did _you_ figure out that freezing my creations would cause them to dissipate?" the boy asked.

Gray smirked cockily. "When you used that illusion of Natsu to slow me down I figured it out. As my sword hit, it felt weird, kind of like hitting the thin crust of ice on top of water, and I figured that by freezing the illusions, since they are made from mist, they would disappear" Gray explained. At this announcement, a sudden realisation hit Erza and the others; the cold blast was Gray destroying the mist and illusions. Lyon nodded at Erza, preparing his magic just in case. Faith sighed, before a smile broke over his face.

"That is one annoying ability you have there" he mused, before a movement behind him diverted everyone's attention.

"Unfortunately for you, I had time to prepare a few backups" a second Faith announced as they emerged from a doorway.

"And like your father we aren't going to be as easily destroyed" a third Faith continued, appearing from a side alley.

"So-" another said, as five more appeared from various side alleys and buildings.

"Get-" another said, quickly followed by the appearance of more copies of the Nightmare.

"Ready-" another said, as dozens of Faith clones now stood against the four wizards.

"To-" another parroted, followed by the appearance of yet more clones.

"Fight!" a final clone finished stepping out to join the ranks of nearly one hundred Faith clones.

"So many…" Erza breathed, although numbers were not something she was usually fazed by.

Gray quickly scanned the ranks of Nightmares, who all stood grinning. "Looks like you really were just in time guys…" he said, before calling up his magic. The army of Faiths all took this to mean the fight had started. "Ice Make; Sword" Gray commanded, blades of ice appearing in each hand as he rushed forward, Erza and Rogue not far behind.

"Shadow Dragon Roar" Rogue quickly barked out, a wave of shadows striking the Faith clones and destroying nearly a dozen. "We need to find the real one quickly" he stated as he dodged a few clumsy punches from the Nightmares.

"Ice Make; Dragonfly" Lyon commanded, a swarm of icy insects surging forth from his back-line position, making short work of a few more clones. Gray used his swords to slice through another two as their forces clashed.

"Requip; Heaven's Wheel" Erza's voice roared above the others, swords dancing through the air as she sliced through clone after clone. "He's not here!" she called out, cutting down her eight clone. Gray looked around, the very faint outlines of mist were still present, but were not receding as he thought they might after his attack. "Erza, I think he's using these guys as cover" Gray called out after another thought struck him. The red head fought through the throng to get to her guildmate.

"They aren't very challenging as fighters," she noted, "It is possible he's trying to escape, or at least retreat and recover energy" she agreed quickly after finishing off another clone. Rogue rushed through in his shadow form as Lyon landed beside the pair.

"One of us needs to focus on finding the real one whilst the rest of us fight these guys off" Lyon stated. Rogue looked to the group.

"I can find him, his scent's everywhere because of the clones but… I think I'll be able to track him down. He can't have gone far" the Shadow Dragon stated, looking to Erza as proxy-leader for confirmation of this plan. She nodded and he quickly dissolved into shadows and slipped away, slicing a few clones as he went.

"Alright, whilst Rogue's gone, we need to finish off all these clones" she declared. Gray smirked at Lyon.

"Ready Lyon?" he asked his childhood friend. Lyon nodded.

"This isn't a game Gray, try to take it seriously" he retorted, before the three charged forward, breaking through the ranks of clones with relative ease.

After a few moments of battle all the clones vanished in a giant puff of mist, a scream quickly sounding out as this happened. Erza and the others all followed the noise and found Rogue sitting on top of Faith, pinning him down. The Nightmare's usual smile was replaced with a pathetic, whimpering face. "Y-you got… me…" he huffed, "Fine I was… trying to escape… I'm no good with… direct combat…"

Rogue got off him as the others approached. "I caught his scent on one of the nearby streets. He was sitting down, trying to hide" he explained. Erza nodded, and glared down at the Nightmare.

"Where is the lacrima with the poison spell, if you give it to us now then we might let you live" she demanded quickly. Faith sat up, and shrugged, all his whimpering gone, although he was still visibly shaken.

"Why should I, the Triplet Code will still kill me…" he stated. Gray felt anger rise in his chest, seeing this pathetic, sniveling boy, trying to defy them. Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed the teen by his collar and held him up.

"Give us that damned lacrima and tell me where the hell Natsu is, _now_!" the Ice mage screamed. Faith looked down on at him, his silver eyes still showing a bit of defiance.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed, I don't know where your boyfriend is" he smirked. Gray glared at him, losing all control very quickly. Punching him in his gut, he threw the boy down in disgust, calling out "Liar!". Erza watched the display before she stepped in.

"Give us the lacrima" she reiterated more calmly than Gray. Faith shrugged from his position on the floor.

"Well that's going to be difficult" he stated. Gray's head whipped around to look at him again.

"Why?" he asked suddenly, eyes still furious that he was being kept from Natsu.

"Because… well… see ya" he grinned, before a portal appeared underneath him, sucking him down quickly. Realising what was going on Gray and Erza leapt forward, going to grab the boy before he could escape, however they were too late, and he vanished into the gateway.

"Fuck… I'm going to kill that portal making bastard when I see him" Gray exclaimed. Erza looked around in surprise, Lyon stood watching this carefully, obviously waiting for her to make the next call, whilst Rogue stood in usual quiet. She patted Gray's shoulder, "Come on Gray, let's get back, then we can figure out where Natsu is" she said, her tone unusually caring. Gray glared at the Requip mage for a second, before yielding.

"Alright, let's go" he mumbled, anger bubbling way to despair that he still hadn't found Natsu.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Fear stood with her spider legs arching out of her back, power concentrated to the taloned tips. Sting and I stood panting, our attacks having missed the Nightmare every single time, even Cyrus' powerful spells failed to reach their mark.

"Hah, is that all. You won't beat me with that puny magic my dears" the Nightmare giggled gleefully. I gritted my teeth in anger.

"Oh yeah… how about this, Fire Dragon Roar" I barked, sending a column of searing flames directed towards my opponent. The Nightmare sighed, as a web of sickly purple shot out form one of her legs.

"Pathetic" she muttered, as the web made contact with the spell and it quickly turned to the sky, sailing harmlessly upwards, well above its target. "My Puppeteer webs can control anything they touch, from spells to people. Your attack will have no effect, so why not just give up?" she reasoned with us.

"Because you hurt Gray!" I shouted back.

"You know that was only an illusion" she retorted. I sighed and shook my head.

"It doesn't matter to me… that was still _a_ Gray you hurt, whether he was real or not" I stated, before looking beside me to Sting. "Ready?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, I've recovered enough magic power for another fight" he grinned. Nodding in agreement, we charged at the Nightmare again. For her part, Fear just sighed.

"Not this again" she muttered, before she used her webs to send Sting and me crashing into the walls of two buildings, making another two dents on the structures. Cyrus sat watching us from afar, throughout the whole fight he had only sent off a few attacks, and as me and Sting continued trying to just get close to the Nightmare, he did nothing.

After another beating, Sting and I retreated to the Script mages side. "Are you ever going to do anything?" I asked him, a slight note of annoyance in my tone. Cyrus looked at me.

"I've been observing you fight for a reason, Natsu. But if you want my help I think I've figured out a way to beat her" he said, "I just need another bit of time to prepare it, if you're willing to give me that" he added. I rolled my eyes and glared at the Nightmare once more.

"Fine, so long as I get to punch her in the face for all the stuff she's done" I stated. Cyrus nodded.

"Okay, request granted. If you two fight her, when I'm ready I'll call out. When that happens, Sting, you've then got to use all the power you can, use as many attacks as you can. You don't need to reserve any magic for this" Cyrus explained. Sting nodded.

"That sounds easy enough" he agreed, before looking to Natsu, "But Natsu, give her a punch from me too, okay?" he added.

I smirked and nodded. "Okay. When Sting attacks, what do I do?" I asked Cyrus.

"You'll know" Cyrus stated, before looking over to Fear.

"Done chatting, because I'm getting bored" she giggled menacingly.

"Go, wait for my signal" Cyrus stated, before we all turned to Fear. I nodded at Sting and we charged again. As we rushed forwards, we each opened our mouths, shouting out.

"Fire Dragon Roar" I called out.

"White Dragon Roar" he said beside me.

Our roars resounded as we charged at our opponent, conjuring forth twin tornados of blazing fire and white light. Fear raised an eyebrow, but did not budge. Instead, she sent out two purple webs and redirected our attacks around her, making them strike the ground and send up an eruption of stone and earth. Sting and I were not deterred by the failure, and we pressed our assault. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist" I yelled as I charged, leaping to the side to avoid the predictable stream of purple webs that emitted from another of her spider legs. Unfortunately, Sting was not as quick as I had been, and his leg was caught with the web. Cackling with glee, Fear had Sting run directly into my path, and I had to jump back at the last moment to avoid striking the White Dragon Slayer. "Damn it, sorry Natsu" Sting apologised to me as he was sent flying into a wall again. I shook my head.

"It's fine, this bitch isn't playing fair" I stated, earning a slight smile from the blond. Before either of us could make another move, Cyrus' voice raised above us all. "NOW!" he bellowed. Sting's ears pricked up at the sound, and he smiled viciously.

"Okay then… White Drive" he stated, as the white patterned markings formed over his body. Fear turned to face Sting head on, however with his Dragon Force active he was much more powerful than previously, ad he closed the distance between them in a matter of moments. I stood and watched in amazement, ready for whatever cue I was supposed to 'know'. As Sting fought with Fear, the Nightmare was noticeably losing ground. Her spider legs were able to block most of Sting's light-infused fists, but the odd attack got through. Eventually she screamed in frustration and threw her arms up. "Enough!" she said, before two of her legs emitted that vile purple thread, wrapping around Sting's right arm and left leg, and holding him up above her. The White Dragon Slayer struggled with all his might, however it wasn't until I saw Cyrus nearing that I realised what he was going to do.

"Red Script; Blaze. Blue Script; Freezeburn" Cyrus commanded, a stream of flames erupting forth from symbols in his right hand, whilst icy blue flames shot forward from his other hand. Fear looked with great fearfulness at the oncoming attack, and she sent out her last two spider legs to stop them. As the purple web connected with Cyrus' continuous assault, the Script mage smiled at me. I nodded and charged.

"This... is… for… Gray" I growled, leaping up into the air. Fear turned her head and looked at me, but she was too late, and without any legs left to stop me I crashed down on top of her, pinning her beneath me. Grinning savagely, I wrapped flames around each of me fists and sent them assailing down in a flurry of punches to her too-perfect face. During my assault Fear struggled, but the position I kept her in stopped her from escaping. Eventually I stopped, panting heavily. The bloodied form of Fear whimpered, as Cyrus and Sting stood over me and her. "Agh…hhh…nn…" she moaned in pain. Sting grinned at me.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard?" he asked me, not a shred of sympathy in his voice for the Nightmare. I stared up at him.

"Would you not do the same?" I asked him. Sting shrugged, with an amused smile; we both knew he would. Cyrus analysed Fear carefully, and after a few moments he spoke.

"She's weak, but she'll live. I'll finish her off, you two can head back to the guild" he stated, matter-of-factly. I turned to eye the Script mage carefully.

"She hasn't told me where Gray is yet. I won't let her out of my sight until she does" I began to argue, before I felt a shift beneath me. This was quickly accompanied by a coughed laugh from the Nightmare beneath me.

"And… I'm… not going… to" she wheezed. Glaring down at her, I got a sudden feeling of de-ja-vu, before something opened in the ground beneath us.

"What the-" I began to say, before the feeling of falling over took me. _Not another fucking portal_ I thought, looking up in time to see the surprised faces of Sting and Cyrus.

Then I fell into unconsciousness.

/

Waking up a little later I looked around, head throbbing with pain. "Where… am I?" I mumbled, confused by the change in scenery. The memories of the battle with Fear rushed into my mind, and I soon remembered the portal. _Damn it, he moved me to stop me from finding Gray_ I thought angrily, as I surveyed the scenery to work out where exactly I was now. "This is… Kardia Cathedral…" I said with realisation.

"Yes, it is" a voice said in reply. Craning my neck to the side, I saw the blond boy I now despised more than anything, leaning against the wall with a smug look on his face.

"You" I barked, struggling to get up, before looking down at the rope binding me. I could see it was made from both the green and white webs of that woman, and I quickly realised I could not escape from it; although that still didn't stop me from trying. "Yes, me. That is to say the Nightmare of Hope, of course" he laughed, moving so that he was standing where I could see him more easily.

"It seems you caused my friends no end of trouble, you and your boyfriend" he mused. I glared up at him, before I noticed the other two forms behind him. One was the Nightmare I had fought, although she looked like an old woman now, whilst the other was a teenage boy, and despite his supposed 'defeat' he didn't look like he had a single injury on him. I smirked at their angry looks. "Hah, I knew Gray could deal with anything" I chuckled. This caused the teenage boy to pout.

Hope smirked over at his 'friend', before looking down at me. "You never learn though, you and your friends… that illusion I left at your guild had you all fooled, and then my simple little lie about those lacrima gets you all into a panic" he smirked. I stared up at him, still wriggling in my bindings. Hope sighed, "If you keep trying to escape then I will kill Gray… slowly. You know I have the power to teleport him away, so I could easily do that" he stated, in a tone that almost sounded like he didn't want to do it. Almost.

I settled. "Fine, I'll stay here. Just don't do anything to Gray" I said, a great sense of loss in my chest at having been practically forced to say those words. Hope nodded with an amused look on his face.

"Good boy... now… I've got a death to plan for Walter, since he's still living and all. I think I'll-" Hope started, before he turned in place, staring at the opened doors. "Impossible?!" he barked in sudden surprise. I stretched to try and see what he was looking at, however it was only when I caught the ripped red cloth that I realised. _No… it can't be…_

"Hello Kibou, sorry I'm late" Walter grinned, striding into the cathedral like he owned the place, despite the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his torso.

"You shouldn't even be able to walk, shouldn't be conscious… how are you here?" Hope asked. The other two Nightmares were on their feet now and moving to corner Walter. The Requip mage laughed.

"Your poison wasn't as strong as you thought, and I've come for a little payback, Kibou" he stated. I was confused by his attitude, however a quick scent of the air told me the poison was still very much in his system. _He's just pretending, he can't really be going to fight these guys…_ I thought, before I noticed Hope's scowling expression.

"I am _Hope_. 'Kibou' was just some made up character I used to get close to you. It was all just part of my plan" he said to Walter, "Although now that you're here I guess I can speed things up and kill you in front of Natsu, instead of sneaking into that guild again and killing you discreetly" he added. Walter's smiled faded.

"Don't lie Hope. DON'T LIE ABOUT KIBOU" the Requip mage snapped, before he looked passed Hope to me. "Are you okay Natsu?" he asked quite calmly. I nodded, although I was slightly afraid by how quickly he went from shouting to calmly asking me questions. Walter took my response in, before looking around him, taking in each of the Nightmares in turn before returning to looking at Hope. "Seem's you've got me surrounded" he stated. Hope smirked.

"Don't worry about it… it's not going to be long now before you're dead" he replied.

"Well… that _could_ happen, however I just wanted to say one thing…" Walter laughed.

"What?" Hope asked sharply, I could see the other two Nightmares were ready to attack at any given moment. _Be careful Walter…_ I silently warned.

"I never thought I'd have to use this power again, but I will… for Kibou" he stated. Hope's face warped in anger.

"DON'T CALL ME KIBOU" he barked, before he gave the signal for the other two to prepare an attack. As the other Nightmares readied, my breath caught in my throat. _No! Walter!_ I thought fearfully. "What power do you have that you think could even stand a _chance_ against us?" Hope questioned Walter. The teen smirked, and I saw his eyes go cold.

"My name" he stated, before a stillness filled the air.

"Your… name?" Hope said confusedly, before his face went from angry to afraid. "Kill him, kill him now!" he ordered.

I stared as the three all pounced at Walter, however the Requip mage remained still and calm; his eyes were cold and hardened like I had never seen them before. Then a bright light erupted forth from his person, and I had to close my eyes.

The only sound I could hear were shouts of anger from the Nightmares, and one little whisper, Walter's whisper of "I'm sorry".

After that there was silence, and only a lone image that lingered in my mind; the almost inhuman look in Walter's eyes as he activated whatever spell he had cast.

 **Chapter 36 End**

 **Next Chapter; A Full Explanation**

 **/**

 **Author's note; Hey Guys, just wanted to say how happy it makes me to see all the nice reviews and comments that are left, and I wanted to give a big shout out to all those people who read and support my fics. It makes me pretty damn happy, so thank you ^^**


	37. Chapter 37 - A Full Explanation

**Chapter 37 – A Full Explanation**

 **Natsu POV**

The spell was bright; I could see it even through my closed eyes, the red-white spots dancing behind my shut eyelids. Although its activation had been sudden, the spell seemed to last forever. _What did Walter do? Why did he apologise?_ I thought confusedly, before another thought struck me; _Why is it so quiet?_

After only a few moments, I noticed the dimming of light spots and as they faded completely I gingerly opened my eyes. Blinking once or twice, I looked up, seeing Walter standing exactly where he had before, with the same bloodied bandages around his torso, only now with his eyes closed. _Did the spell work?_ I thought, observing my surroundings. Nothing appeared to have been damaged, however there was definitely something different. _Where are the other Nightmares?_ I realised quickly. Looking around again, I found no sign of either the teen or the Spider-woman, only the foot of Hope, poking out from an area behind a pillar, suggested that anyone besides Walter was here.

Suddenly a noise broke the deathly silence of the building, a load groan emanating from Hope's direction. As I heard this I looked to the Nightmare's direction, before looking forward, at Walter. The Requip mage opened his eyes. "Are you all right Natsu?" he asked flatly, not looking to my direction. I nodded, before I replied.

"Yeah… I-I'm… good" I stuttered, weirdly afraid of the teen's coldness.

Walter nodded and a slight smile touched the sides of his mouth. "That's good…" he said, before his head swiveled around to observe the place. His eyes quickly locked on the area where Hope seemed to be lying. I craned my neck to see, however as I did I realised that the binding web-rope that had been around me no longer felt as constricting, and I quickly burst out of my confinement. Getting up and walking over to Walter's side, I turned to see the tired form of Hope, who rested against one of the pillars. His body seemed okay, for the most part, although there was one thing missing. Rather two things; his left leg and arm were absent. There wasn't any blood, nor did there seem to even be a gash or cut, they were just… gone. Deciding that the Nightmare _couldn't_ be a threat in the state he was in, I turned to Walter. "Are you okay, you shoulda stayed at the guildhall" I said to him. Walter smirked at me, and I noticed that his eyes, while still cold, were not nearly as inhuman as when I glimpsed him casting that spell; there was still a spark of his usual mischief in there.

"I'll live… which is more than can be said for him" Walter stated, nodding with his head in Hope's direction. I nodded, before I heard a breathy scoff come from the Nightmare's position. I waited for some kind of response, however Hope didn't say anything else; he was probably too pained to. "Actually…" Walter said after a moment, "I'm sorry but…" he didn't finish as he began falling.

"Watch it!" I barked, catching Walter before he hit the floor. Holding the teenage wizard in my arms I carefully rested him down on the ground, eyeing Hope up as I did so. The Nightmare anticipated my next question before I had even said it. "I've done nothing yet… it's just the poison taking its toll" he said sharply, eyes defiant and prideful still.

I scowled, however I paid more attention to Walter's condition. _His heartbeat's slow… that can't be good… damn it…_ I thought as I checked over the Requip mage who had saved me, _plus his scent stinks… all that poison's still in his system…_ I added. Looking back to Hope I decided to get some answers, hopefully he'd have an antidote. "Which poison did you use on Walter, I need to know" I said flatly. Hope smirked.

"If you're looking for me to help then your outta luck, the antidote was in my left pocket" he mused, looking down at his half-form. _Damn it, it'll have been destroyed in the attack._

I heard Walter chuckle beneath me. "That's so freakin' typical of me... Cyrus'll be real mad too" he scoffed, "He'll go ' _you're such an idiot'_ or, more likely, _I told you so_ " he impersonated the Script mage poorly. I looked down at the wizard and sighed, I knew I could be childish myself, but never in situations like this. Looking back up towards Hope, I heard Walter's tired chuckles subside, and an air of seriousness began to emit off him. "I'm sorry" he said flatly. Hope finally dropped his façade and gave a look of mild confusion, although he did not press his opponent for answers. "I'm sorry but… I'm just sorry. Does Kibou have anything he wants to say before he goes?" Walter spoke again.

Hope sighed. "Not that name again… I said before, I was just using it to trick you" he stated flatly, "Not that it did me much good". Walter smirked.

"Liar" he replied sharp but mockingly.

Hope smirked. "I have to admit, then, that I _did_ enjoy our time together to get you to stop calling me by that name?" he asked, almost rhetorically.

"It would be the truth" Walter pointed out. Hope scowled for a moment, before resting his head back. Although he wasn't facing Walter anymore I could see he was smiling, slightly.

"Fine, I admit it. It was fun… and you were a good fuck" he said with a slightly over-emphasized exasperated tone. "Although it was intended to just be a trick, in such a short amount of time I found I was enjoying myself. It was quite the surprise, especially since I was fully aware of what was to come" he added.

Walter nodded weakly, shifting to sit up; I had to support him. "I always knew you were having fun… and I was aware that you were most likely a trap. I suspected a Nightmare might have set it up, however I did not ever think it was _you_ " he said with his own smile.

Hope looked back towards Walter and nodded himself. "Although, if you would allow me, I have one other thing to admit. Or rather, to request" the blond stated. Walter gestured for him to go on, and a smirk formed on his eyes. "You have to admit that you should be thankful to me, for I was the one who set up your matches for you" he stated.

I heard this and narrowed my eyes. "You sent me and Gray out to die, why should we be thankful?" I asked with an odd mix of anger, hatred and confusion. Hope laughed throatily at my comment, before he stopped, coughing up blood in a sudden fit.

As the fit subsided, I noticed Walter was smiling, a knowing look to the curve of his mouth. "Thank you… Kibou" he said. Hope smiled, not responding viciously towards the name as he had not five minutes earlier. I looked incredulously at the Requip mage in my arms, before Hope spoke up. _Why did he say thank you… what's going on?_ I questioned silently.

Hope smirked, before speaking. "Think about your fights Natsu, think really hard. The two Nightmares I pitted you and your boyfriend against were the only two I could get, unfortunately. Of course I… used you two because I saw how well you were able to fight against _me_ at that beach. I also knew each of you had a weakness. If I had given Gray to Fear, she would have been perfectly able to manipulate him, given, as I'm sure you know, how messed up his life has been… Then there's you, who doesn't stop to think. How easy it would have been for Faith to trick you with his oh-so-perfect illusions, sending you into a very deadly trap I'm sure he planned" Hope stated. I heard his words, and couldn't help but agree that those match ups were better, however I still didn't want to thank him. Hope didn't bother to await my response anyways, as after his brief explanation, he looked to Walter. "Also… I…" he began to speak again, before his mouth twisted in pain. Sniffing the air quickly, I could smell the strong scent of magic, and soon I noticed the slow fading that was creeping along Hope's body, starting from his left side and working its way outwards. "What the hell's going on?!" I barked in surprise.

Walter was silent, offering no explanations. Hope forced his face into a complacent look, before speaking disjointedly. "Wal-ter… I have one final… r-request… Kibou… I-I… want you to defeat our maker. I never once believed, never once… hoped… that we would be spared should his p-plan… succeed…" Hope stammered.

Walter nodded and narrowed his eyes onto the dying Nightmare's quickly vanishing form. "I will. That is the prime directive. However… I will not forget this time together, my time with Kibou" he stated quickly, as now more than half of Hope's body was vanishing, only his upper torso remaining. Hope smiled, his blond hair was messy but his golden eyes shone.

"I… will not… forget. Kibou will not forget" he said, before closing his eyes, his entire form gone in only a matter of seconds after he finished speaking. Walter sighed and rested back against me. I held him tightly as he passed out, his eyes closed and his face withdrawn. Left alone in Kardia Cathedral I knew he would die. Mustering my strength, I carried the Requip mage outside, screaming aloud in the hopes of attracting someone, anyone, who could help me. All the while one thought pervaded my mind. _What the hell just happened? What did Walter do?_

/

 **Walter's POV**

I awoke to light streaming through a small gap in the curtains. Looking around I quickly realised that some time must have passed, at least a day since it appeared to be mid-morning, and that I was in the Fairy Tail infirmary. Cyrus and Blake stared down at me, a caring yet firm look to my dark-haired companion's eyes, whilst the scolding and ever-present stoniness of Cyrus' face provided a sharp contrast to this. "I take it the poison was dealt with?" I said, voice gravelly as my throat was dry. Blake nodded, writing in the air.

I COUNTERACTED IT WITH A POTION. YOU HAVE A FEW DEMON PARTICLES IN YOU BUT THEY WILL DISPERSE WITH TIME.

He wrote. My tired eyes read over the words, before Cyrus decided to speak up. "You acted stupidly, leaving this place to fight" the Script mage stated flatly. I nodded and shot him a slight smile.

"But I _did_ deal with Hope at last" I replied, giving my best puppy-dog expression. It didn't work. Cyrus' eyes hardened, so I sighed, and lay back in the bed, propping myself into a sitting position. "It was necessary, besides, only Natsu saw what happened, so it's not like he'll understand it anyways" I added. As I spoke aloud I noticed the slight shuffle from outside. No more than a second later a group of wizards entered the room, a certain pink-haired mage striding at the front.

"I heard that" Natsu smirked as he entered, Gray and Makarov quickly following behind, with Sting bringing up the rear.

Cyrus turned and looked at them all sharply. "Master Makarov, I _did_ ask for privacy" the brunette said boldly. I smirked as Makarov smiled back at my teammate.

"And _I_ said I'd grant it until _Walter_ was awake. This is, after all, the Fairy Tail guild building" the old man replied casually, his well-oiled, and well-rehearsed commanding tone leaving no room for debate. I smirked wider as I saw Cyrus' face go guppy-like, before Makarov spoke again. "How are you Walter?" he asked me.

"Oh fine… just a little tired. What do you all want with me?" I asked the assemblage, as Blake subtly dragged Cyrus out of their way, so my snappy little companion would not make any more noise. Sting smiled, although I could tell this was laden with questions, a slight seriousness to his eyes.

"We're here for answers" the blond stated. I nodded in quick understanding, however I was not quick enough in answering, and Cyrus chirped up.

"I told you earlier, we cannot provide them as part of the secrecy clause in your arrangement. I'm afraid yo-" he began, before Natsu interrupted.

"But you're keeping secrets, and after Gray was put in so much danger, do we not deserve some answers?" the pinkette retorted, slipping an arm around his mate's waist.

Cyrus quickly got flustered by the defiance. "Y-you have a point, but…" he quickly tried to say.

"Natsu's right, I've seen enough people, enough members of our _family_ , put in danger because of our cooperation with you. Should you fail to give us at least some of the answers we want, then I'm afraid we may have to rethink our alliance" Makarov quickly backed up Natsu's point. Cyrus glared at the Guildmaster for a moment, however the equally controlling glare he was met with left him dumbfounded. I sighed quietly. _Seems we've reached_ that _point… guess I have no choice…_ I thought.

As Cyrus stuttered out a few responses, mostly just parroting what he had already said, I let out a small chuckle. This drew everyone's attention from my partner to me. _Good, they're willing to listen_ I thought, before looking at them all. "It's alright Cyrus, it looks like it's time we tell them" I said to the brunette. This earned me a sharp look from him.

"Remember our rule, _Prime_ " he warned flatly. I nodded; _Leave no memory, leave no mark. We are but ghosts to be forgotten._

Before I could defend my point I saw Blake reach over to Cyrus, tapping his shoulder. He quickly wrote two words in the air, small so that only Cyrus could see them properly. Despite their size I could just about make out the letters.

GIVE UP.

It read. I smiled at Blake, silent thanks shared between us. Blake nodded back at me, before Cyrus sighed audibly. "This will not work the way you intend, Walter" he said, reverting to my other name. I gave him a smile as I slowly sat up.

"Trust me" I said to him, before looking to Makarov again. "Makarov, before I explain everything, I must ask that the guild, the _whole_ guild be gathered. I want everyone to know of it, not just those chosen previously. You're right, we've endangered all of you enough, it is time to come clean" I said to the Master.

Makarov nodded, "That can be arranged" he said, before turning to leave. Dragging everyone out with him. Once they were gone I looked to Blake and Cyrus.

"It's time to come clean. We cannot do this without help, and I'm tired of losing so much…" I said to them. Blake nodded, writing in the air.

AGREED. MEMORIES ARE SO PRECIOUS. ALTHOUGH WE KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE, IT IS JUST AS OUR MASTER TAUGHT US; LIFE IS FOR DOING WHAT YOU WANT, MAGIC IS A TOOL FOR GETTING YOU THERE.

He wrote. I smiled, breathing out a loud sigh.

 _Now to hope that they accept this and continue their assistance. Especially given the stakes we face…_ I thought quietly, _Kibou… Damien… I do this to save you… just like I promised…_

/

 **General POV**

The whole Fairy Tail guild, along with all the representatives from the other guilds, stood and sat around the main section of the guild. Twitching anxiously, some asked nervous questions, most simply waited for whatever Makarov had called them all in for. "I heard it's to do with Walter" someone whispered.

"Apparently, Master threatened them to tell us" another said in hushed tones.

Makarov ignored these comments as he stood on the bar, Sting and the other masters all sitting along the seats there. Lyon and Jura stood nearby, whilst Gray and Natsu huddled together quietly near the back of the room. After a few minutes of waiting, Mirajane appeared.

"They're coming down now, Master" she said to Makarov, as she took her place behind the bar.

Makarov nodded, before mustering his voice. "Everyone be quiet, and listen to what Walter has to say!" the old man bellowed. Walter smirked as he walked in with his arm over Blake's shoulder for support. The crowd parted to allow him and his two companions to pass into the empty space at the center. Rogue grabbed a chair and hauled it unceremoniously over to the middle of the make-shift stage. Cyrus thanked him quietly, before Walter was forcibly made to sit. As he sat, Walter looked out at the assembled faces, noting the high number of Fairy Tailer's who were actually present this day. _More than usual… maybe fate wants people to know about us…_ he pondered. "I see a lot of you are here today" Walter mused aloud, "That's good, because if this is going to come to light then perhaps its better the more of you who know". This comment earned a few confused looks from the crowd. Smiling, Walter looked over to the Guildmasters. "I believe you wanted to ask me some questions" he said politely. Makarov nodded.

"Yes. First, however, I would like to explain the situation to everyone" the old man stated. Walter glance at Cyrus before responding, the Script mage was deathly still.

"Fine. Go ahead Master Dreyar" Walter gestured for him to speak. Makarov nodded, and his face went stoic and withdrawn.

"You may have all noticed that several members of this guild have been involved in thing's kept highly secret" Makarov declared, a few murmurs of agreement spreading across the crowd, "Although I have heard many rumors, this case goes back to the time when we raided a supposed bandit hideout to save Natsu. While that was partially true, there were other things going on. Lucy, Erza, Gray, Natsu along with these three before you, were all involved much more heavily than any others that night. Natsu was taken by an enemy brought to us, knowingly, by these three. Whilst their intentions were pure, the harm that has come to my children cannot be ignored any longer and so I have brought them before us in the demand for answers. Firstly, I would request that they explain just what these enemies are that we, and our allied guilds, have been coerced into fighting" the old man stood firm in his words.

Walter absorbed the speech, as did everyone else present, before he carefully began to construct his response. "Our enemy is few. Lead by a single man, there are fifteen others in total. The first level of these are the Twelve Nightmares. Each Nightmare is a twisted soul constructed of this man's horrific dream, and acts as a being to bring about his ultimate plan. While not immortal, they can be brought back from death, and will fight us over and over again at their creator's command. It was a Nightmare that took Natsu that time, and it was three Nightmares who attacked Magnolia this day. Beyond these twelve there are then the Three Generals, who each hold even greater power" Walter explained boldly.

Makarov nodded at the response, clearly accepting of it, before looking to Sting. "If that's the case then what do the enemy want to achieve? What is their goal?" the blond asked. Again, Walter was a moment in responding, carefully choosing his words.

"The enemy's intention is evil. The leader, the creator of the Nightmares, intends to create another Nightmare, this one more powerful than any other, with enough power to destroy the world and recreate it as it's master sees fit. We intend to stop him before this happens" Walter replied. Sting nodded and another voice spoke up.

"But who is that man, how do you come to know his plans if he has managed to keep them secret from everyone else?" Master Bob of Blue Pegasus asked. Walter smiled at the odd man's question. _Finally got around to asking it, did you?_ Walter thought.

"Well… that is more difficult to answer, but easier at the same time. The short answer is because this man, we name him ' _Function'_ , is our brother." This response earned confused and suspicious looks from even the Guildmasters present. Before anyone could ask anything else, though, Walter smiled at Makarov, speaking again "If you'll indulge me, it would be easier, perhaps, to explain everything from the beginning. It has been a long journey" Walter said. Makarov nodded, intrigue and questions brimming in his eyes.

"Go on Walter, we're listening" he replied.

/

Walter smiled at the old man's words. "Right… in that case… I guess I should begin by explaining two things. Firstly, we do indeed know our enemy quite well, and secondly, we are not what we appear" the Requip mage said to the crowd.

"What do you mean 'not what you appear'?" Rogue asked from a place near Sting. Walter looked to the Dragon Slayer for a moment.

"How old do you think we are?" Walter asked in reply. Rogue scrunched his face in thought before Sting answered for him.

"Around our age, maybe… probably younger" the blond said.

"Exactly what I'd expect you to say" Walter grinned. This made Sting's brow furrow in confusion.

"So, you're not teenagers?" Sting asked in confusion. Walter nodded, gesturing for Cyrus to reply.

"No, we aren't" Cyrus stated, earning dumbstruck looks from around the room. The Script mage sighed, knowing he would have to explain their situation carefully. "We are _physically_ teenagers, and we have been for a long, long time. In reality we share an age closer to Master Makarov" Cyrus said, gesturing to the old man, "Each of us is over eighty years old".

This statement made Sting, Natsu, and many of the others who knew the trio well, sweat drop. "YOU ARE!" A significant number in the crowd barked, before a cacophony of noise erupted around as people asked questions to both each other, and to the Triplet Code before them.

"QUIET!" Makarov bellowed from his place at the bar; this silenced everyone quickly. "Okay, so you are older than you seem… please continue" the old man said more quietly, gesturing to Walter. The Script mage nodded, before running his hands through his hair, blond tips sticking up at odd angles.

"Thank you Master… now that everyone's had that little revelation, I will begin our story proper" Walter declared. A hush fell over everyone, the few remaining whispers of conversation stopping as people sensed the great revelation that was to come. Walter breathed in deeply before speaking again.

/

"Right… well… our story begins in a small town to the north of Fiore. This town will not be seen on any map, nor is it likely any of you here will have visited it, however it was here that me, Cyrus and Blake were all born. The village was nice; small and pleasant, but big enough that we often attracted fairs and the such. We even had our own magic guild, although according to records its numbers were few. Mages were a hard thing to come by in our area, so magical objects were in short supply… I remember our parents only knew a little about spells…" Walter's voice became nostalgic. Cyrus looked to his comrade before he looked around the room.

"Indeed, our town was small, however despite our small size bad things still came. It was in Walter and Blake's seventh year alive, as I was only six at the time when it happened" Cyrus continued where Walter left off, his voice not as sentimental as his partner's. "A force of mages, dark wizards worshiping demons, came to our small town, and many others like it in the area, kidnapping or killing all the residents. I remember I was indoors, watching Walter, Blake and another boy, Damien, play outside. I had heard some commotion, but ignored it favoring my books instead… then men came running. Walter and the others would have been caught, however my parents were friends with Walter, Blake and Damien's families, and so they ushered them inside to safety" Cyrus said before taking in a few breaths. "Although it was true our town knew little of magic, my mother, Walter's father, and Damien's parents had all been tutored in some small way, and so when the attack came, they were well prepared for it. Coming to my house, our combined families used a special illusion spell to hide us from harm in a small room. They told us that they would come in too, once they had gotten some supplies… however in reality their spell prevented them from entering and they were all captured… we were… abandoned" Cyrus voice broke then; for the first time in a long time the Script mage showed some emotion.

Walter looked to his comrade, before looking back up at the crowds. "As you can see, this is hard for us…" he said. Makarov nodded in agreement.

"We won't press for details on these issues… you may just tell us the parts about our enemy if you prefer" the old mage said. Walter smiled.

"Thank you, Makarov, however I will continue. As Cyrus said, our parents sacrificed themselves to save us… four children alone in a room. We couldn't leave until the spell wore off, so instead we spent the entire night cold and afraid. When the spell did finally end, we emerged from our room to find the entire the village, including the very house we were standing in, nothing more than smoldering rubble. The wizards had burned it all to the ground. With nothing left I dropped down in despair… we all couldn't help but cry at our situation" Walter stopped for a moment to allow this to sink in. The crowd remained hushed, the heavy atmosphere quelling anyone's voice. After a moment, Walter began again. "Damien was the only one who didn't blubber. As the oldest he decided to take charge, and lead us out of the building. We decided that in order to avoid getting captured like everyone else we would only spend that one day in the village, looking for food and survivors, before we would try to find someone safe. A sensible strategy, or so we thought… in only a matter of hours after leaving that room we were discovered by a wizard" Walter paused and took in some of the shocked expressions a few people gave. Although this story was true, he felt like he was telling some great fable, and he enjoyed watching people react as he would expect them to. After a moment, Walter decided to put them out of their misery. "This wizard was _not_ one of the dark wizards that had attacked us, but rather a nearby mage who had come seeking out survivors in the vain hope of one soul being saved. Seeing four young children, he took pity on us and brought us to his home" Walter stopped so Cyrus could continue, gesturing for the Script mage to speak with a hand to his side.

"The wizard that took us in was a great researcher of magic and knew everything about anything magical. We had seen him before a few times in our village; he often came to gather supplies, before secluding himself with his wife back in their house in the mountain forest. He used to call us 'brats', however we did not care as at that point we had nothing else and nowhere else to go. From then on, we lived with him and his wife… they tutored us and fed us, and in return we helped them with chores… that was right up until we were all nine" Cyrus explained, stopping for a moment to let his words sink in. Like Walter he felt like he was telling quite the tale, so he decided to treat it like one. "Around the age of nine, Damien began to act differently. We thought he must have been getting bored and so we led a small 'expedition' into the mountain forests to pick some herbs and ask him what was wrong. Despite our best efforts, Damien kept quiet, which was unnatural for him. It wasn't until a week later that Damien brought us all together. He had always been the leader of our group, even before the incident, and he always made the decisions that were best… however what he would suggest in that moment would change all of our fates forever" Cyrus stopped with a grandiose gesture to Walter. The Requip mage smirked at Cyrus' uncharacteristic show of theatrics, before retaking the lead role.

"Yes, at that time he was our leader, and I myself looked up to him. When he called us all together we figured he'd just admit what was bugging him, however we were wrong. He suggested that we ask our Master to teach us magic. It wasn't like we hadn't before, in our time in that house we had seen him use many spells, many different powers, and we were awed… however every time we asked we were always told 'no', so Damien asking this was odd. Despite me pointing this out the high chance of rejection, I found the fire and determination of my friend overwhelming, and by the end of that night we all made a resolution; to learn magic, and to learn it with or without our Master's help" Walter said, before smirking at the memory. "The next day after our meeting we asked our Master to teach us, and as usual he shot us down, however unlike before we all asked again, and again, and again. Damien had proposed that we simply annoy him into submission, and surprisingly, it worked. After a month of constant requesting, we were eventually allowed to study magic".

"For each of us, choosing our magic took time, and came with inspiration more than anything else" Cyrus picked up where Walter left off, "I chose to learn from our Master directly; He was a specialist in Script magics as well as ancient languages. Through his tutelage, I developed the Rainbow Script magic you have now all seen me use".

"Whilst I chose to learn from his wife" Walter quickly continued, "She preferred magic which boosted physical attributes, and had hundreds of speed-enhancing, and strength-enhancing skills at her disposal. She was one lady you never want to get mad, and I always seemed to be in awe of her raw power. Despite this I did not choose Swift magic straight away. Besides her physical powers, our Master's wife was also a master of many spatial magics, including Requip. I learned my own Brawler Style Requip from her" Walter finished, before looking to Blake. The wizard had remained silent and unmoving up to this point, however now he knew what to say. Taking out his borrowed light pen he wrote in the air.

I CHOSE NOT TO LEARN MAGIC FROM OUR MASTER DIRECTLY. I FOUND SCRIPTS TOO BORING TO LEARN AND I DISLIKED THE GREAT PHYSICAL EFFORT OF OUR MASTER'S WIFE'S POWERS… SO I DECIDED INSTEAD TO TURN MY ATTENTION TO HIS EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF MAGIC BOOKS, AS DID DAMIEN. DESPITE IT BEING HIS SUGGESTION, DAMIEN WAS THE LAST OF US TO CHOOSE HIS MAGICAL POWER, AS I QUICKLY FOUND WHAT I WANTED. CHOOSING A BOOK ENTITLED 'THE POWER OF THE HEALER' I READ ABOUT ALL SORTS OF MAGICAL POTIONS AND PLANTS, AND SOON THIS LEAD ME TO LEARNING THE VERY MAGIC THAT I KEEP MOST SECRET. MY DARK ELIXIR MAGIC.

Blake finished. Turning to Walter, the Requip mage picked up again. "With us three having chosen our magic, that left it up to Damien. He had decided to learn magic that could be used to create, however in our Master's books most of the spells for that category were sorely lacking. It was only perchance through a book of ancient lore that Damien found what he was looking for. A very old type of magic you are all familiar with" Walter paused for a moment to pick out exactly who he wanted from the crowd. Once he had, he said the final two words he needed to say. "Maker magic". This earned a collective glance at Gray, who sank into his chair slightly to shy away from all the looks. Only Natsu gave any other kind of look except intrigue.

"As you may have guessed, this story has no happy ending" Cyrus continued, turning everyone's attention away from Gray again. "We each spent four years learning magic, culminating in the powers we have displayed before you. I went on to attribute my powerful Script spells with Scribe's eyes, whilst Walter went on to increase his speed with Swift magic, and Blake improved his supportive repertoire with Harmony Voice. We were quite confident of ourselves… that was until yet another event twisted our lives in the most horrible way. Our Master's research came to a head, and eventually he created a new spell. This spell would prove to be pivotal in our story, and it is what resulted in everything we have done up until this point" Cyrus stopped for a moment.

A voice chose this lull to raise a question. "Is this spell the same one I saw Walter use?" Natsu asked from his seat beside Gray.

Walter turned to look at the pinkette, his face a little withdrawn as he answered. "Yes, it is Natsu… well… it sort of is" Walter half-replied. Sensing the confusion settling in to the crowd, Walter decided that this would be the final moment he revealed all.

"The spell he created was the Ultimate Spell; The Divine Codex" Walter stated flatly.

This earned a murmur of confusion from the assembled wizards. ' _Divine codex?'_ ' _What power is that?' 'Could it really be that powerful?'_

The questions were raised, but Walter did not answer them. He instead chose to look directly at the Guildmasters.

"In each of us there is a part of that codex and that is where we get our name from. The 'Triplet Code'" Walter said. Makarov nodded.

"That makes sense… however you have still not answered our question" the old man said.

Walter smiled. "I am getting to that. Now I will tell you the final bit of our tale. The creation of the most horrible being ever known to have existed, and in my opinion I believe it to be worse still than even Zeref…"

"What being?" Jura questioned with a gruff seriousness that silenced a lot of the hushed conversations people were having around the room. Walter looked over to the Wizard Saint as he replied.

"The being known as Function" he answered flatly.

 **Chapter 37 End**

 **Next Chapter; To Find a Fiend**


	38. Chapter 38 - To Find a Fiend

**Chapter 38 – To Find a Fiend**

 **General POV**

Walter smiled at the assembly of wizards. After his declaration and explanation about the origins of their groups name a sense of confusion and intrigue had settled into the air. This was only broken by Makarov's commanding voice. "That makes sense… however you have still not answered our question" the old man said to the not-so-young Requip mage before him.

Walter smiled at the comment. "I am getting to that. Now I will tell you the final bit of our tale; The creation of the most horrible being ever known to have existed, and in my opinion I believe it to be worse still than even Zeref…" he said.

"What being?" Wizard Saint Jura questioned with a gruff seriousness that silenced a lot of the hushed conversations people were having around the room. Walter looked over to the Wizard Saint as he replied.

"The being known as Function" he answered flatly, although his tone brought more questions to all the wizards minds than answers.

"You keep avoiding our questions. _Who_ is Function, and _why_ are they your enemy?" Jura said with a narrowed gaze aimed at the teen. Walter sighed.

"I'd have thought at least some of _you_ would have worked that part out already… regardless, I will continue the story. Er… where was I?" Walter said, looking to Cyrus. The Script mage rolled his eyes.

"Our Master's creation" he answered. Walter's face turned serious as he recalled.

"Oh yes… So, our Master's work brought about the 'Ultimate Spell', a spell powerful enough to recreate whole worlds and to bestow upon its user the power of a god, at a price of course. As I'm sure any novice wizard should know, the more powerful the spell the greater its cost, whether that cost be in magic power, in lives, or in something else material or immaterial" Walter continued his earlier explanation, "Our Master's spell had a cost much greater than most. The spell was unique, for unlike your garden variety spell it was conscious… alive. Far from some words on a page, or some ideographic magic circle, this spell was sentient, and any who held knowledge of it contained within themselves a part of that sentience" Walter stopped a moment to allow this to sink in, much like all his other messages of importance.

After a moment, Cyrus continued. "The Divine Codex was alive, and our Master became quite quickly aware of this. Realising the danger this knowledge posed, he purged it from his own mind, before splitting the spell into four parts; these became known as the four codes. Of course, whilst this did prevent the spell from controlling, or living inside people, it did not completely stop it. No, in order to do that our Master had to figure out a way to store the knowledge away where no one could ever access it. Although this sounds simple, it was no easy feat, for where could he place it that it could not be seen? Books could be read, even if it was encrypted it could be decoded, diagrams could be understood, and of course his own mind couldn't handle it… that was when we presented him with a proposition, or rather Damien did. In its weakened state, the codex could not take over a mind completely, unless that person surrendered to it, so with Damien's suggestion, our Master devised a plan; seal it away within our own minds, as a separate entity. Despite his reservations, Damien convinced us all that it would give us great power, and allow us to carry on our Master's legacy, so we underwent it at the age of fifteen. Thus, the Quad Code was born" Cyrus finished, looking back to Walter.

"However, as we said earlier, there is no happy end to this tale. It was only four months later that the last, and greatest change occurred in our lives. You see… after the destruction of our village, and the tutelage in the magic we specialize in, Damien and I began to apply our skills for another very different reason. We would often go collect rare tomes for our Master to add to his research, and it was only perchance that we heard about yet another town's destruction at the hands of the very same villains we had suffered under so many years ago. Taking this opportunity to hand, Damien and I sought out this town, and its few survivors, collecting all the information we could. We then used this, and our own experience, to locate their hideout. Of course, no matter how powerful we were, there was no way even we could stand against an entire dark wizard army, so we returned home. Three weeks after this we were given our codes, and then… only four months later _they_ returned" Walter cast his eyes down, taking a heavy breath. "It was in the dead of night. I was awake, talking with Damien, as I so often did, when we heard the shouts and cries for help. Rushing downstairs, we found our Master fighting off many of those dark wizards. Cyrus and Blake were there fighting right alongside him; they had been up studying late so were downstairs when the attack began. He told us to check on his wife, so Damien and I did… however it was too late, and she was nowhere to be found. Angry, I charged outside and began using my new code powers to wipe out a large number of the attackers. As I did this, the supposed leaders of this group approached us, demanding the spell. In return they promised us her, the Master's wife and our foster-mother. Despite my feelings at the time, I have to admit our Master made the right decision in refusing; the spell was too powerful for the likes of them to have" Walter stopped again, and Cyrus picked up once more.

"The dark mages left with our Master's wife, giving us until sunrise to hand over the spell in return for her life. Of course, our Master had no intention of handing it over. He grouped us together back inside, and prepared his plan. Taking a copy of my code, whose power is that to kill and destroy, he set about preparing for a fool-hardy assault on their base. He told us to wait at the house, however we naturally disagreed; he had predicted that. Before any of us could react, he used a sleep spell to stop us from following him on his suicide mission" Cyrus stopped for emphasis. Looking around the guild he could see how many people were trying to process this. Gray seemed withdrawn, understandably so given the similarities their own story mirrored the sad end of his master, Ur. Cyrus felt like he could understand both Gray's, and Lyon's pain, however he didn't choose to continue the story, leaving Walter once more to bring up the final part. "As we collapsed to the ground, our Master left for what was most likely the last time" Walter said, a note of sadness to his voice, "However… Damien was by far the better strategist in these times. Predicting down to the exact minute the spell was cast, he had already set in motion his own ploy. Instructing Cyrus just before we met our Master that night, a Script spell was placed on each of us. No more than ten minutes after our Master was gone, did we find ourselves awake and ready to fight. Following our Master in secret, Damien and I quickly caught up to him as he faced off against the demon-worshipping wizards" Walter raised the tone of his voice to match the rising drama in his story. "Damien, Cyrus, Blake, and I all watched as he tore to shreds every mage that stood in his path, however it was too late… and his wife was killed. That was not all though. Despite what he had told us about staying low, Damien stood then and wandered down to meet with the dark mages, leaving us three confused. After that moment, it all became clear… for it was that moment that we saw the blade form in his hand, and our Master's body rended asunder" Walter stopped once more, and the whole guild stayed deadly still, silent as the grave; they hung onto every word like a child would to a good bedtime story. "Damien had betrayed us. It was by no chance that the dark mages had heard of the Codex, and it was not by their abilities, pathetic as they were, that they captured our Master's wife. No, Damien had arranged all this from the moment he had been given his code" Walter finished speaking, turning his head to Cyrus to continue; the fatigue was starting to show on his face, intensified by the burning emotion in his chest at all the memories he experienced.

Taking pity, Cyrus finished it. "Damien, or Function I suppose I should say, betrayed us all. Killing our Master and his wife, he had destroyed everything we had ever known. Of course, we had yet to discover why, and it was only after we fled that we realised the code had consumed him, body and soul. Damien was no more" Cyrus finished, looking around at the assembled wizards, "For his betrayal, and for his actions, we seek not only to stop Damien utilizing the Codex in full, but we also seek revenge for our Master's murder" he added, directing this at the Guildmasters more than anyone else.

Stunned into silence, it was a few minutes before anyone spoke again. "Oh… that's awful, you poor dears" Master Bob said in a cooing, sorrowful tone.

"Yes, that is tragic" Makarov concurred. "However, … I must ask one thing, if I may?" he directed this more at Walter, despite the fact Cyrus had been the one to deliver the final, dramatic speech. Walter smiled "I can guess what it'll be…" he said.

"It is clear your hatred, and your reason, however you have not explained where it is the Nightmares fit into this" Makarov pointed out. Walter chuckled.

"Hah, knew it" he smiled, "Yes, in order to do that I will need to explain the code. You see, while in each of us a part of the Codex exists, they are not the same" Walter began. Makarov's bushy eyebrows furrowed in question.

"What is so different about them?" he asked predictably.

"I will explain them individually, perhaps that will help. In order for anything to be formed using the Codex, four processes, or parts, must be undergone. The first comes in the form of my code, the Code of Destruction. With this I am able to completely and utterly destroy something, if I am at full power… each code is weaker than the whole, and it is only through the combined efforts of all four that their 'true' level of power can be achieved. In my current state at best I can break things down to their basest form. Observe…" Walter got up from his seat, with support from Blake, and hobbled over towards the crowd. Parting before him Walter moved over to one of the tables with four wooden chairs around it. Placing his hand to the chair, Walter activated his power, although only for a fraction of a second. Had anyone have blinked they would have missed the slight look to the Requip mage's eyes; the inhuman nature there. "There, now… I must apologise and will pay for the cost of the chair" Walter said. Makarov looked at him confusedly, more so than before.

"Why ever do you need to?" he queried. Walter looked down.

"Watch" Walter said. After a moment, the chair began to break down, first into smaller splinters of wood, before these too broke down, and so on until there was nothing more than a plain, grey pile of ash-like substance left. "There, it is done" Walter said, before hobbling back over to take a seat. Makarov and the others looked in amazement.

"That's quite… a power" the older mage gawked.

"A power that could destroy anything at a touch?" Ooba, Master of Lamia Scale echoed.

"Huh, so that's how you 'made the Nightmares vanish'" Sting said, glancing over in Natsu's direction before looking back to the chair. Walter smirked and looked at Cyrus, who sent him a little look. _Yeah, yeah. I get that I shouldn't have let Natsu see_ Walter thought, before looking back to the Guildmasters. "Right, so that is my code, however… there are three more. Cyrus, if you would be so kind as to explain" Walter said politely, gesturing for his companion to take to the stage. Cyrus sighed and stood forward a little.

"There you have witnessed the power of the Code of Destruction. My power is that of the Code of Understanding. Unlike Walter's it would be a bit more difficult to display, so I'm afraid perhaps an explanation must suffice" the brunette stated, before taking a deeper breath than usual. "My code allows me to, at a glance, gain everything that is to be known about an object, from its lifespan, to its current age, and everything it is composed of. Unlike Prime's power, however, which may be targeted towards an object as you saw, my power is unable to be so specific, and as such, once active, I gain knowledge of _all_ objects around me, including people. It's quite unnerving and can lead to an… 'information overload' I suppose you could call it" Cyrus explained. Makarov and the others absorbed this information.

"Isn't that similar to your eye magic… er… Scribe's Eyes?" Sting asked a moment later. Cyrus looked at the blond.

"Well… I agree that they are similar, although my Eye magic may only be used to scan and understand spells" Cyrus replied. "Regardless, I do not activate my power very often as it is not only very draining mentally, but it consumes large quantities of magic power" he added. At that Makarov nodded.

"Right, I understand. That just leaves…" the old man turned his attention to Blake. The dark haired wizard accepted the look for a moment, before promptly getting his light pen back out.

MY CODE IS THE CODE OF CONSTRUCTION, AND THE OPPOSITE OF WALTERS.

He wrote.

IN ITS FULLEST FORM, IT ALLOWS ME TO COMPLETELY CREATE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING, HOWEVER AS WE PREVIOUSLY EXPLAINED THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH UNITY BETWEEN THE FOUR CODES. IN ITS WEAKENED FORM AT BEST IT MAY BE USED TO RESHAPE THAT WHICH IS ALREADY IN EXISTANCE. I WILL DEMONSTRATE.

Quickly finishing his writing with a flourish of the light pen, Blake strode back over to the ashen pile that was all that remained of the chair Walter had destroyed. "Observe" Cyrus stated in warning, before Blake activated his power. Like Walter his eyes went a little glazed, although they were not as inhuman in appearance; instead they glowed with warmth and kindness, like a parent standing over their child. It was an equally as unnerving change, albeit a short one too.

Placing his hand into the pile, Blake sifted his fingers through the substance, before he withdrew his arm quickly. Not a few seconds later the pile began to shift, and reform; a new chair, or rather an identical chair to the one before stood in its place. "Amazing… that's like my magic" Gray breathed. Natsu patted Gray's shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry, we aren't gonna replace you" he said with an almost straight face. Gray glowered at him for a moment, before his attention redirected back towards the Triplet Code.

"So, you can create where Walter destroys" Makarov commented. Blake nodded and returned to his allies. "That's all of your codes then, however… if I recall your story there is one more?" Cyrus and Walter nodded, however it was Walter who chose to explain this.

"Function, er… Damien's code is the final code, the Code of Bonding" Walter stated, looking around at the guild, "Pretty ironic for a traitor?" he added with a smirk. Cyrus sighed.

"The Code of Bonding is the missing code to our group" the brunette said, quickly taking over from his childish ward. "It has the power to break down and reform bonds, like removing the mortar from between bricks. Like all of our powers it is dangerous, however it is also limited. Alone, this does not have the power to create _new_ bonds, it can only reform old ones. To continue the metaphor, it is like breaking the mortar down and using that same mortar to rejoin the bricks back together" Cyrus explained.

"It's also the reason he is able to create those beings, the Nightmares" Walter added, "We don't know how long ago he realised this, but he can not only remove _physical_ bonds. The Code of Bonding also gives Function the power to remove bonded parts of souls and manipulate them. This is the core of his creations, his Nightmares…" Walter paused a moment. "Removing parts of his own soul, Function utilizes the Maker magic at his command to give them new bodies".

"But that's impossible!" Gray called out. Walter looked to Gray.

"Ordinarily you are correct, Gray, however… the Maker magic at his command is not normal, nor ordinary. As I said in our story, Damien learned his magic from ancient lore, and through this found not only the modern methods of casting, but the original, ancient ways as well. Like all of us he too learned two, quite different, magics, however both of these are Maker magics. In modern times, they are referred to as Shadow and Light Maker magic" Walter explained. Gray gave a look of confusion.

"He creates things out of shadow… and light?" he questioned Walter. The Requip mage nodded.

"Indeed. But as I said, he also learned the ancient spells too, for these are only the modern methods. Shadow and Light Maker magic goes back many ages, and at its source is closer to a magic I'm sure Sting and Rogue are quite familiar with" Walter glanced at the Twin Dragons.

Sting nodded in partial understanding. "Rufus' Memory Make, right?" he inquired. Walter nodded.

"Yes, and much like Memory Maker magic, Damien's magic allows him to create things from his memory. His magic is called Yin Make and Yang Make" once again Walter paused to allow this to sink in; he had, after all, given them all a lot of information already. After a brief moment, he allowed Cyrus to continue. "Yin Make and Yang Make are spells as old as Memory Make, but with one clear difference. Whilst Memory Make allows its user to incorporate together memories of spells, these two powers instead allow the user to recreate things they have seen before in the physical world. Yin Make can recreate any object, with all its negative aspects greatly emphasized, whilst Yang Make can recreate any object with all its _positive_ aspects emphasized" Cyrus explained.

Looking around, and seeing everyone's confusion he continued. "Alright, to put this another way… if Damien had a memory of a statue of a man he had once saw, and he used his powers, he could create a copy of the statue. There is, however, a few differences… Firstly, should he use Yin Make it would emphasize the negatives, such as create a copy of wood or of obsidian, or make the statue uglier, or more demonic looking. This is the difference for this spell. If he, instead, chose to use Yang make it would emphasize the positives, and instead create a copy of gold or other metals, or make the statue more beautiful, more angelic, or more human looking" Cyrus described, waving his arms around and pulling a few faces to emphasize his own points.

Sting nodded. "Yeah, I get it" he said.

"I understood fine, but thank you for clarifying Cyrus" Makarov said, before looking to Walter. "Based on all the information you have given us, both now and in times past, I can assume after removing these parts of his soul, Function then uses… Yin Maker magic to form the bodies in order to make them as cruel as we have seen?" he said. Walter smiled.

"I see your wisdom shine through Makarov, you are exactly correct" he said in reply. Makarov nodded, before looking down more closely at the Requip mage; despite his smile he sounded incredibly tired. "You appear very tired Walter, are you okay?" the old man asked. Walter nodded, although his slightly droopy eyelids suggested otherwise. Blake kept a tight hold on Walter's shoulder for support.

"Yes… I'm fine. This story telling just has me a bit… nostalgic, that's all" he said. Makarov looked at him suspiciously, before looking around at his guild. All the mages remained quiet, just a few scuffling sounds of feet on floor; their faces all showed their much more somber mood. With a slight nod to the other Guildmasters, Makarov raised his voice.

"Walter, Cyrus, and Blake. You have all answered our questions honestly, and openly, and for this we thank you. Now we must discuss our next decision carefully before anything else is done. You may rest and we will see you later" the old man declared. Walter smiled up at Makarov on the bar.

"Thank you, Makarov, I will go rest… see me in half an hour or so, and I will answer any other questions you have" Walter replied, before getting up with the support of both Cyrus and Blake. They exited the room quickly, and a dragging sound could be heard in the corridor, as the two healthy mages tried to navigate their sleepy leader back to his infirmary room.

With them gone, Makarov faced the crowd. "Right, you lot. Walter very kindly, and openly told us everything, despite not needing to. It goes without saying that they have had a hard life, and that they deserve our sympathy, however… we the Guildmasters must make our decisions, in _peace_ " he stressed the word bitterly, "So we expect quiet, no arguments. More importantly, however, absolute discretion is required of _all_ members present here, not a whisper of this to anyone else" the old man glared threateningly at the assembly. Everyone gave mumbled agreement, before Makarov looked pleased, leaving with the other Guildmasters to discuss what they needed to. He didn't need to warn them to be quiet really, the Triplet Code's story was enough to put them all off fighting for a while.

/

 **Gray POV**

Once the talk was finished, I noticed the withdrawn look to Natsu's eyes. As I stared at him, he shot me a fond look, before sending me his usual brightening smile. "Gray, you're staring" he said with slight amusement.

I chuckled and leaned in. "Of course, you looked kinda spaced out, so I was a little worried. It's not like you" I replied, patting Natsu's arm. The Fire Dragon Slayer took my hand and stood up, a slight blush had formed on his cheeks.

"Come on, I wanna get some air, it's too stuffy inside" he said, giving me no room to argue as he practically dragged me out of my seat. As we left the hall behind us, and exited the guild, Natsu spun around, dragging me sideways and pressing me up against the stone wall. I looked at him suspiciously; although I knew he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize our relationship, there was an odd look to his eyes I hadn't seen in a long time. "Are you okay Natsu?" I asked him after a moment. Natsu looked me up and down, the usual look of confusion forming on his face.

"Yeah… why, do I not look fine?" he said, checking himself out to see some kind of sign that he hadn't noticed before. He found nothing and returned to looking at me.

"You look fine, there's nothing physically wrong with you, it's just… that look you had in your eyes, the last time I saw it was right after Tartaros, when… Igneel…" I trailed off. Natsu heard what I had to say and lessened his grip on me. "Walter and the others had pretty screwed up lives, what with seeing their parents die, and then being betrayed by someone like that… I can get why it might be a bit upsetting, but… well we don't… I mean…" Natsu silenced me with a kiss. I accepted it, smiling at how gentle Natsu was holding me compared with the many times before.

"Hey Gray, are you forgetting how screwed up _our_ lives have been?" Natsu smirked after he pulled away. I chuckled as he moved to allow me up from the wall. The pinkette then gestured for us to walk a little farther, out of the way of the guild, and any prying eyes. As we walked I continued chuckling. Sitting under the shade of a few trees, we hid from obvious view. "What's so funny?" Natsu asked me. I looked at him for a moment before responding.

"Our lives have been pretty screwed up, haven't they? I mean we've both lost our parents, and seen some pretty bad things, but… well, I just thought that there was at least _one_ good thing that came from all this" I said. Natsu cocked his head to the side, an oddly cute gesture. Sitting cross-legged opposite me he looked almost like a child.

"What 'good thing'?" Natsu asked, expectantly looking at me for the answer. I smiled and reached over, pulling him closer to me.

"I got to be with you" I said, before kissing Natsu again. The Fire Dragon Slayer accepted the kiss with a murmured 'I love you', and as we broke away he had his own signature smile on his rounded face. "I just remembered something" he declared openly, sliding to sit beside me, his hand resting on mine. Before I could ask what that 'something' was, Natsu kissed me again, the third kiss in only a few minutes. It lasted fleetingly, but as the Dragon Slayer pulled away again, I could see happiness in his fiery eyes. "What was that for?" I asked him, half-expecting him to just laugh and say 'Because I love you' or something like that. Instead, Natsu cocked his head.

"When we got Walter back to the guild yesterday we were both so tired that we fell asleep right away in our infirmary room. I never got to kiss you goodnight, or cuddle you… or _ANYTHING_. I remember that when I woke up this morning, and saw how you had already woken up and left, I promised that I'd get you alone later, and give you all the kisses and cuddles I missed out on last night" Natsu beamed, "And there is nothing you can do about it, snowflake. Okay?" the Fire Dragon Slayer's tone gave me no room to argue, and as he spoke he slid his arm around my waist, pulling us closer.

Sliding an arm around Natsu's body, I rested my head on his shoulder. "Natsu, that's really cute" I cooed. The pinkette rested his head on mine, although even from my position I could see his slight pout. _He hates being called cute but… he's just too damn cute for me NOT to call him it_ I thought.

"You're the only one I'll let do that… I can be cute for you, but _only_ you Gray. You're my mate… however no matter how much you call me cute I promise I will be making up for our lost time yesterday. It was the first day of us being mates but we barely got to spend any time together because of that stupid Nightmare" Natsu said, tone serious but loving all the same. I nuzzled into his neck, trailing a few haphazard kisses there.

"You can always be cute for me Natsu, and I'm fine with spending time with you… I always will be fine spending time with you" I said quietly. Natsu glanced down at me, with a smile on his face.

"Now who's being cute?" he giggled. I shrugged and enjoyed Natsu's scent, I didn't care if he called me cute, so long as it was him calling me it. After a few moments, I felt Natsu rest his cheek on my head, a content warmth radiated off his body. This only lasted around five minutes, as the telltale twitch of Natsu's nose told me someone was approaching us, and sure enough after another minute or so I saw the blend of black and blond hair poking out from between the leafy trees. "Aww… don't you two look adorable?" Sting laughed as he approached us. Natsu made no move to rise to the insult.

"What are you doing here?" he asked instead, almost friendlily. Sting shrugged.

"Walter wants to speak to you two, don't know what about. The other masters are all there, and Makarov sent me to grab you" Sting explained. Natsu sighed and removed his head from mine. Standing up he looked down at me, the blue sky and leafy green trees making the most perfect contrast to his pink locks. _Damn he looks so good… why do we have to leave now?_ I thought a little selfishly.

"Er… Gray, are you gonna get up or not?" Natsu asked, breaking my train of thought as he offered me his hand up. I took it and he hefted me off of the ground, before we looked at Sting and Rogue.

"Let's go" I said to the pinkette, as we followed Sting and Rogue back into the guildhall in search of Walter.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gray and I entered the infirmary room where Walter was resting, Sting close behind. The Requip mage looked tired, and even from where I was standing beside Gray, I could hear the faint panting of effort as Walter's energy was clearly sorely lacking. Glancing around I saw the collection of Guildmasters along one side of the room, facing the door, whilst Cyrus stood sentinel near Walter's bed. Blake appeared to be absent. "Gray, Natsu, thank you for coming so quickly" Walter said with a voice more faint than usual. We looked to him and took in the state he was in.

"Of course we'd come quickly, seeing how weak you were earlier we figured that it must be important if it was going to disturb your rest" Gray said quickly, glancing at Makarov a moment later. The old man nodded approvingly. _Suck up_ I thought with a faint flicker of a smile.

"I know you two must have other things to do, given how what occurred" Walter said. I could see the laughter in his eyes, as he referenced our secret right in front of the whole assembly. I looked away to avoid giving anything up; after all it was up to Gray to reveal, as we agreed. "I'm truly sorry that our presence put you in that situation… had I been more careful yesterday evening, and not stayed to work so late… then I would've been able to stop Hope" Walter said quietly. I looked in surprise at the Requip mage's genuine show of apology.

"It's fine Walter" I spoke up. Gray looked to me before smiling.

"Although we said we'd not trust you for keeping secrets and putting us in danger, we didn't really mean it. After everything we saw you do at the beach to keep us safe, and everything else as well… we just did it to get some answers" Gray said. Walter looked between us with a smile.

"I am grateful for your frankness, it makes quite the change. My apology still stands though, and even after all that I must apologise again" Walter stated. I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"Why are you apologizing again?" I asked. Walter was a moment in responding; clearly he was using most of his energy in just keeping awake.

"For what I'm about to say. When I used my power against Hope, Fear and Faith at the cathedral… I completely destroyed them… totally. No revival spell would be possible for them, and so their souls will have returned to their creator. This… puts us in a valuable position…" Walter explained, with a few yawns.

Gray looked to Cyrus for more answers, knowing Walter was too tired to talk too much. "Why is this a good thing?" he asked. Cyrus looked to Gray with passive eyes before responding.

"It is good for two reasons. When Nightmares are killed, they do not die as we would believe them to, instead their souls return to their master. This weakens him greatly, so instead of recombining with him directly, they are stored in a special Soul Crystal which means they can be revived without any interaction with their master's form. This also means they can be revived more quickly, and so puts us in a bad position. With Walter's power being used, however, the soul will have nothing to tie it to this world, and so will return to the crystal, however unlike other souls it will need a completely new body before it can be revived, and this slows the revival process down considerably. That is our first advantage. Our second advantage is a unique one. For as long as we have fought Function and his Nightmares, they have held no static base, they always move around so we never know his positon. With _you_ two, however, we may finally have a way to find those fiends" Cyrus explained monotonously, although even he couldn't deny the slight hopefulness that edged into his voice.

I looked to Gray with some concern. _Does this mean we're going to have to fight them again? Will Gray have to be put in danger?_ I thought protectively, all my instincts kicking in, intensified by my two-day-old mating bond. "How do we have anything to do with finding them?" I asked the Script mage, although it was Walter that replied this time.

"There is a tracking spell we can use in this unique scenario. Your memories of your battles will be the key. Through them we can find Function's location, and put a stop to all this. At last" Walter said with a fieriness to his voice I had not heard before.

"How could you not use this before, I would have thought you'd all have memories you could us?" Sting spoke up from his place near to Gray's left. Walter looked over to the blond and took in the question.

"The spell requires powers from all three of us, and so it requires someone who has had a few interactions with Nightmares and Function. Although it was not by your choice… Gray… and Natsu have had… enough interaction" Walter explained, fighting off another yawn. Cyrus nodded as confirmation of this. The Guild masters then decided to step in on behalf of the trio.

"We have all agreed that we will assist in this fight, so long as you two are okay with doing this spell" Makarov insisted. "But if you don't want to I can understand" the old man added.

Natsu and I shared a look; both of us were thinking the same thing. "We'll do it. Let's go fight this guy… it's the least we can do for you saving our lives" we said together. Makarov smiled at the comment; a true Fairy Tailers response to an offer of a fight.

"Alright… that settles it. The spell will take a few days to prepare, so ready yourselves… but rest also. You have had a hard time" Walter said. Gray and I nodded, before Cyrus spoke up.

"You're one to speak Walter. Besides that, you need not worry about doing anything for the spell, I will take to the matter personally" the brunette said.

Makarov nodded. "If that's your decision Natsu and Gray, then it is settled. You may leave, we need to discuss what to do about Walter's condition" he said, before Sting interjected.

"I do not need discuss it, I will agree to whatever you think best. I must discuss an urgent matter with Rogue, however… it concerns our own guild so I'm sure you can understand" Sting said. The other masters nodded, before beginning to talk with Cyrus and Walter. I followed Gray and Sting out.

/

Once we were outside, Sting apologised, before rushing off to find Rogue, ducking into one of the other corridors. As soon as he was gone I grabbed Gray and dragged him away to a quieter corner of the guild; where we wouldn't be disturbed by _anyone_.

Smirking at each other I pressed the Ice mage against the nearest wall. "I didn't know you were that ready for a fight, although it did look pretty hot" I said. Gray smirked back.

"I'm surprised you weren't barking at me about it not being safe" he retorted, to which I pouted in response.

"I _did_ think about it, but then I realised that I wanted to be there with you anyways, because that's the only way I know you'll be safe. What if you were attacked by some other sneaky Nightmare whilst I was away?" I asked coyly. Gray laughed before leaning in and kissing me.

"Stupid dragon, I'd beat 'em up if they did, of course" he laughed back. I nodded in agreement, before pressing him flat against the wall, my lips crushed roughly against his as I shared the kiss I had wanted to give him so badly before we were interrupted a few minutes earlier. Not stopping there, I trailed my hand over Gray's bare chest, since he seemed to have been shirtless from waking up today. Gray mewled into the kiss a little, before I pulled away. The hard-on in my pants was evident, the grin on my face tinged with lust; there was only one thing on my mind right at that moment, how sexy Gray looked.

 _Fuck it, I've gotta do_ something _even if we are in the guild_ I thought.

Gray seemed to have the same idea as he allowed me to pick him up and kiss him. He grabbed the doorknob of the door I pressed him against, opening it wide. Barreling inside and kicking the door closed again I deposited the Ice mage, _my_ Ice mage, against the wall. Before I could proceed to do anything else, however, I turned at the slight grunt sound behind me.

"Wha-!" I jumped in surprise, as did Gray a second later. "S-sorry" I apologised quickly, as I saw Sting, bare chest, pushing a half-naked Rogue up against the opposite wall. The blond smirked.

"That desperate to see me naked?" he asked with a sly smirk. Rogue remained quietly embarrassed, still pressed between the cold stony wall and Sting warm bare chest and abs.

Before I could reply to the comment, I felt Gray grab my wrist and pull me out of the room forcefully. Outside of the room we quickly closed the door and looked at each other. Then we both grinned stupidly. "Well… that was surprising" Gray breathed. I laughed.

"I guess all Dragon Slayers think the same" I giggled. Gray nodded and dragged me a little farther down the corridor.

"Yeah, all Dragon Slayer's ever think about is food, fucking and fighting" he sighed. I laughed harder at that reply.

"You including Wendy in that statement?" I asked him. Gray just snorted and shoved me.

"Come on flame-for-brains, I wanna go home" he said. I followed him, laughing all the way out of the guild, ignoring the odd looks I got from people. _Once we get there, I'm so gonna fuck him_ I thought devilishly.

Gray seemed to think the same thing. Especially since the first thing he did when he locked the door to his apartment with both of us inside was strip off his trousers too; a lewd grin plastered over his perfect face.

We had a couple of days of time to kill, and I had a few ideas in mind for how to spend it. None of these involved training.

 **Chapter 38 End**

 **Next Chapter; A Little Excursion**


	39. Chapter 39 - A Little Excursion

**Chapter 39 – A Little Excursion**

 **Gray POV**

I woke up feeling Natsu's calming presence beside me. The Fire Dragon was murmuring in his sleep, the steady rise and fall of his chest following each little noise that fell out of his mouth. I didn't realise it the day before, having slept apart from him for that one night, but I enjoyed sleeping beside Natsu so much more than I ever thought I could. The familiar warmth that radiated off his person was so soothing to me, it never failed to lull me to sleep quickly. _Not like a little bit of 'exercise' right before I go to sleep helped tire me out though_ I grinned. Checking the clock, I read the little numbers. "7AM… I guess we can sleep a bit longer" I mumbled quietly, before looking back to my boyfriend. _No, my mate_ I corrected.

The word held such weight, yet it felt so right to say I could not deny it made me feel happy. Then another memory sprung to mind; Natsu's statement the day before, 'It was the first day of us being mates but we barely got to spend any time together'. _That really was only our second day of being mates… the first wasn't much of a day… and besides all the stuff we did here, we didn't spend much time together yesterday either. Well, time doing stuff together that_ we _wanted to do. Maybe I should try to spend more time with him… but then we might get caught_ the thoughts spiraled around my head. "I said I'd be okay to tell people, but I can't help feeling afraid" I whispered quietly. Realising that I said that out loud I breathed in deeply. _Did Natsu hear that?_ I thought quickly.

Looking at the Dragon Slayer he still appeared to be asleep. "Good…" I sighed, before closing my eyes and trying to settle my restless mind. _I will tell people… but I'll do it later. Not today, no… today can be just about me and Natsu. We can spend our time together and rest up… because after this I don't think we're gonna get much time together for a while_ I resolved. "I want to spend today with Natsu. Just Natsu…" I verbalized my thoughts aloud once more.

"That's good… because I wanna spend it with you" Natsu said. I jumped slightly in surprise, however the Fire Dragon Slayer just grinned, wrapping his strong arms around my bare body, only the sheets over us covered his sneak-attack. "Good morning" Natsu beamed. I gaped.

"G-good morning, Natsu. When did you-" I started, but stopped half-way though my question. _If I say that he'll know I was thinking about stuff before he woke up that I didn't want him to know about. He'll get suspicious…_

"Just now. Why, did something happen?" Natsu asked. I shook my head.

"I just thought you were out for the count, flame brain. Don't scare me like that" I said, with a slight tap to Natsu's side for emphasis. Natsu giggled.

"Were you thinking about doing something… fun? Because I'm up for whatever" Natsu said, eyebrows raised suggestively. I stroked a hand through his pink locks.

"Whilst that does sound tempting, not all of us have your energy when they first wake up" I replied. Natsu pouted, giving me a puppy-eyed look.

"Aww… come on, it's not like we haven't done it this early before" he whined. I smirked.

"If you're that desperate, do it yourself" I replied, laying back into the bed with a resolute look at the Dragon Slayer.

"It's not the same" Natsu complained, before smirking, "Besides… you clearly want some attention" he added, sliding a hand down my body to my half-awake member.

"St-stop Natsu" I said, although I couldn't fight the blush that rose on my face.

Natsu's hand slid a little lower, before he broke into a chuckle, and trailed kisses along my neck and shoulder. "Aw, fine. I can always do it later… after that little episode yesterday, I know that it's possible to get you _fired_ up enough to wanna do it in the guild" he laughed.

I shot him a glare. "Not gonna happen, Natsu. Didn't you learn yesterday from Sting and Rogue how easy it is to get caught?" I asked him. Natsu shrugged.

"Does it really matter if we're caught. I mean there's already like half the guild in on it" he stated. I nodded.

"It does matter" I said flatly, before sighing and changing the topic. "Anyways, do you have any ideas for what we _could_ do today?" I asked him. Natsu shrugged again, resting his head beside mine and planting a kiss to my cheek.

"I don't really care. We could stay here all day if you really wanted to" he said. I shook my head.

"I wanna go somewhere nice, since we haven't really done anything just us two since our last date, you know…" I said vaguely. Natsu nodded.

"Okay. How about we go around town a bit later and see if we find anything?" he offered. I nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, but first… since you got me in the mood for it" I kissed him softly, although this quickly turned to passionate making out, followed by much more.

Despite my heated thoughts, one other idea did come to mind; _Why does it matter if we're caught? Do I still not want to tell people that badly?_

It unsettled me, and even with Natsu's 'help' that morning it kept me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I walked beside Gray in relative quiet. It had been two hours since we had woken up, and already the Ice mage was snappy. _What's bothering him?_ I thought as we strolled through Magnolia's market, _He won't tell me, and he keeps getting really annoyed… I kind of want to pin him down and ask him but I know he'll just snap at me again_ I added. _Why is it such a hassle, I woulda thought being mates would mean he'd feel alright to tell me anything_ I was at such a loss.

Gray had insisted we not hold hands or anything in public, however I found myself being drawn to physical contact with him as much as possible, and within the crowded confines of the market it took all my self-control not to beat up every single person, guy or girl, who accidentally bumped into my mate. "Gray, slow down, we don't need to rush" I called out, as Gray was quickly getting separated from me by waves of people. The Ice wizard looked over to me and apologised, ducking into a side alley so he wouldn't be swept up before I could reach him. "Sorry Natsu, there's just too many people here today" he said. I nodded at him.

"Yeah. Can we just go somewhere else? I get that I suggested this… but I never thought I'd have to fight through waves of people today" I said. Gray nodded in agreement.

"Fine, got anywhere in mind?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't really care, so long as there's not a ton of people there. If we follow this alley, we'll come out near the park" I stated suggestively. Gray nodded again.

"Sounds good" he smiled. I gestured for him to take the lead, since the alley was not wide enough for us both to pass through side-by-side, however as we came out the other end I reach forward and tried for Gray's hand. "Natsu, I thought I said for you not to" he snapped immediately. I looked a little lost.

"But there's no one around to see us, plus we could just say that it was because there were too many people in the market and we had to stop getting separated" I defended. Gray sighed and turned to walk.

"No. Come on" he barked. I sighed and followed the grumpy man.

"Ooh, I've had an idea. What about if we get breakfast at that restaurant with all the sweet food… erm… La something" I said to Gray, hoping he might cheer up at the suggestion. He didn't.

"Natsu, that's on the same street as the guild. Don't you think people might see us?" he said. I sighed defeatedly.

"Fine, can we just go to the guild then?" I said at last. Now it was Gray's turn to look confusedly at me.

"I thought you wanted to go to the park?" he said. I nodded.

"Yeah, but all I really want to do is spend time with you… every time I make a suggestion, you tell me _no_ and then go off to do something else. Besides sex, the total length of time we've spent actually _doing_ things together today is zero" I said exasperatedly.

Gray took in my words with a stunned expression before grabbing me by the hand and dragging me out of sight. "I'm sorry, it's just… well, before you woke up this morning I thought about what you said yesterday, about how we should spend more time together…" he said from within the safety of yet another side-alley. I held Gray's hand soothingly.

"So why do you keep shooting down my ideas?" I asked, "I thought you were okay with people seeing us… you said so yourself a couple of days ago" I added a moment later. Gray's eyes went wide with this, and I suddenly realised why he was acting the way he was.

"I'm afraid of people seeing us together, Natsu. Even though I feel okay to tell people, I also feel afraid… like… if they don't accept us... then…" Gray stammered away, trailing off before he finished. I looked at him warmly, trying to will all the comfort I could through my hand as it held his.

"Gray… I'll protect you from anything, everything. I agreed that I would before all that shit that happened because of Hope, and I'll still do it now… I love you, and I don't care who knows it. I'm sorry for trying to force it though, I _did_ agree that you'd have to tell people, so I know when it's okay" I said, pulling Gray closer to me. The Ice mage avoided my gaze.

"I'm sorry… I'll be ready to tell people soon… I think…" he mumbled. I ran a hand through his hair.

"You don't have to force yourself, and I'll stop trying to force it too" I reiterated. Gray nodded and looked up at me.

"Let's go to the guild. I… I'll hold your hand as we walk too" he said. I nodded.

"Only if you want to though" I warned, Gray nodded again.

"It's okay, there's no one around to see us anyways" he smirked. I smirked back as we proceeded down towards the guild.

/

Gray and I entered the guild stuffing the croissants we bought at the pastry shop I had wanted to go to. "These are always so tasty" I said to him. Gray smiled and nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yeah. I don't remember the last time I ate these" he said, stuffing the last bite into his mouth. I smiled, about to make fun of how cute he looked with his cheeks puffed up with pastry, when someone interrupted us. "Wow, you gotta tell me where you got _those_ from" Sting said as he and Rogue walked up to the large guild doors to greet us. I smiled brightly at him, although my eyes danced delightedly at seeing the pair together. Sting seemed to notice my smile.

"Hey Sting, how ya doing?" I asked, gobbling the remainder of my snack before he could speak.

"I'm doing… fine" he began, before smirking broadly. "I'm sorry about yesterday" he added after a moment. I felt a slight blush rise to my cheeks as the memory flashed straight through my mind again; Sting shirtless, pinning a helpless Rogue against the wall.

"Nah, it's fine. Not like I can really blame you for it" I giggled. Sting nodded.

"Heh, I heard you left after that so I was just a bit… concerned… that's all. Although if you're fine then I guess I don't need to make any apology gifts" he said. My ears perked up at the mention of the word 'gift'. Gray's did too.

"What gift?" he asked the pair. Rogue fumbled about his person for a moment, before drawing out two tickets.

"We've got these. We were originally going to ask you to come, but then after yesterday, we felt me must" the Shadow Dragon said, emphasizing the _we_ part, before passing us each one.

"They're for a little place not far from here. I know you two have trouble just _resting_ so I thought you might like to join us" Sting explained. I looked over the ticket; it had a picture of a bubble on it, with the words BATHHOUSE written in big letters. "I've heard of this place, never been there though" Gray said, before he looked at me, "Wanna go?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, looks like fun" I replied. Sting smiled broadly.

"It gets better, there's a free meal and a room to stay the night included in the ticket, so we don't have to walk all the way back in the dark" the White Dragon Slayer beamed. I smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Sounds even better. We _gotta_ go Gray" I said. Gray nodded.

"Fine. Let's go" he agreed. Sting looked to Rogue.

"That's great. We'll come find you later to figure out all the details" he said, before Rogue checked the time.

"Sting, we have to go if we want to send that message to the guild on time" the Shadow Dragon pointed out. Sting nodded before the two set off.

"Sorry guys, we'll talk later" he shouted back. We waved them off before proceeding to go inside. Both me and Gray pocketed out tickets as safely as we could. _Well… that's one way to spend our time together… plus I've got a little idea that might just top the night off_ I thought with a slight devilishness. _This is gonna be fun…_

/

 **An hour later**

Gray and I were sitting apart, almost at opposite ends of the guild. Lucy, Happy, and Levy were all beside me chatting about some book or another, whilst Gray talked to Lyon. I decided to give the pair some space for once, especially since Gray hadn't gotten to talk to Lyon much in a while and I was sure they'd have a lot to talk about. "So Natsu, are you feeling okay?" Levy asked. I looked at her confusedly.

"Yeah, why?" I replied. She smiled.

"Because you've been spaced out looking over at Gray for the last fifteen minutes" the Solid-Script mage said. I panicked and felt a slight, faint blush touch my cheeks.

"Oh… erm… I wasn't really looking at Gray in particular, I was just… zoned out thinking 'bout stuff" I stammered, before looking to Lucy for support. The blond Celestial mage smirked, but did not come to my aid. _Fuck you, Lucy_ I thought annoyedly.

Levy giggled. "Aw, that's cute. Are all Dragon Slayers so protective of their mates?" she inquired. Now it was not only me looking confusedly at the Script mage; Lucy and Happy sweat dropped right alongside me.

"How did you know? Did you tell her Lucy? Happy?" I asked in surprise, swiveling in my seat to look at Lucy and Happy. The blue cat and the wizard both shook their heads, so I narrowed my eyes at Levy, urging the mage to explain herself.

"Oh, don't look like that. Gajeel kinda told me… I'm his mate, so he always tells me everything. I thought you two made a cute couple" she said. I relaxed hearing her explanation, before another thought popped into my head.

"Hey Levy, please don't tell anyone" I said sternly. The Script mage nodded.

"Of course, I won't Natsu" she promised. _Good. Gray might freak out if he learns even more people know about us that he thought_ I thought fearfully. "I don't see why you don't just tell people though, it's not like anyone here would do anything to spite you for it" Levy added. I nodded.

"I know… it's just… we're keeping it quiet for now" I said. Levy nodded in sympathetic understanding, before her head turned to see some place behind me. Glancing around I could just about make out the many-riveted face of the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Sorry guy's, looks like I've got my own little problem to deal with" Levy said. We all nodded, however before I could speak to ask for her silence one last time, I noticed Gray get up from his chair beside Lyon, and glance in my direction, a pleading look to his eyes. "Heh, looks like I'm wanted too. See ya later guys" I said, jumping up and bounding off after Gray, a giggling exceed and Celestial wizard being left in my wake.

/

"So, did Lyon say anything?" I asked Gray as we walked through the hall ways of the guild, heading off to a quieter and more _private_ location.

"Nah, he was just asking about Juvia. Seriously, that guy needs something else on his mind besides pestering me because of some stupid little puppy love" Gray sighed. I smirked.

"Ha, if Juvia knew we were together you know you'd get bombarded by both her and Lyon, right?" I said. Gray nodded grimly.

"Yeah. Juvia would probably flood the place with tears, whilst Lyon'd probably flood it with love letters for her" Gray snorted. I giggled.

"Yeah, either way we'd ge- ooph" I huffed, as some collided with me full force coming around the corner. "Walter!" I barked in surprise. The Requip mage grinned up from on top of me, before stand and brushing himself down.

"Sorry" he apologised. Gray helped me up, as I glowered at the apparently not-so-young teen.

"I thought you're supposed to be resting in the infirmary?" Gray said. Walter nodded.

"Yeah, but I was getting bored senseless, and without Cyrus around I thought I could sneak out. Turns out Blake was waiting outside, and well… I kinda ran" he said, rubbing the back of his head. I laughed, before another person barreled down the corridor, grabbing Walter's arm before he could escape.

Blake panted heavily as he looked at me and Gray. One-handedly he wrote something in the air.

SORRY ABOUT THAT. I'LL BE TAKING WALTER BACK TO HIS ROOM NOW. I HOPE HE DIDN'T CAUSE YOU ANY PROBLEM.

I read the message, before I laughed harder as Walter pouted. "Blaaake. You make it sound like I'm some child needing looking after" he whined. Gray smirked; clearly, he was as amused by Walter's childishness as I was.

YOU NEED TO REST WALTER.

Blake wrote, tugging for Walter to follow him. The teen sighed and began to begrudgingly be forced back to his room. Looking to Gray I felt a little twinge of sympathy flutter through my chest at the other wizard's plight. Gray seemed to read my mind as he spoke up. "Hey Blake, don't you have some preparation or something you need to do for the spell they're gonna cast on me and Natsu?" The dark-haired boy turned.

YES. BUT I ALSO NEED TO KEEP WALTER RESTING SO I WILL DO IT LATER.

He wrote. I smirked. "If Walter really is that bored, we don't mind taking him off your hands" I said. Blake looked confusedly at us, obviously expecting this to be some kind of ploy, however the relief that shone through in his eyes could not be denied. After a moment, he let go of Walter.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH HIM?

He asked. I smirked again, "Well… we're kind of going to this bathhouse later if Walter wants to come. It's not like he's got anything better to be doing here, right?" Blake nodded.

FINE. I WILL LEAVE HIM IN YOUR CARE.

He wrote, before signing something to Walter. The Requip mage read the signs, and signed something back before turning to us. As Blake left he smiled. "Thanks guys, so what are we _actually_ going to be doing then?" he asked. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well… you see…" I began. Suddenly I realised what I said might not have been so wise.

Gray seemed to think so too, as he punched me not-so-lightly on the shoulder.

/

 **A little while later, outside the guild**

Sting and Rogue stood, the White Dragon Slayer tapping his foot impatiently. "Where the hell is Walter?" he complained, looking to me and Gray for some answers. I shrugged.

"Don't know. He said he'd meet us here at 1PM and he's ten minutes late… what could he be doing?" I replied. Gray shrugged too, before he looked over to the guild.

"Hey, is that him now?" the Ice mage pointed, as a figured emerged from the guild building looking a little flustered.

"Sorry I'm late guys, Cyrus was kinda scary and wanted me for something. I couldn't say no" Walter apologised as he approached our group. Sting sighed.

"Alright, as long as you're here now we can go. Did you manage to get you own ticket?" the blond asked. Walter nodded.

"Yeah. After Natsu explained everything I felt I needed to go find my own ticket. Luckily I happen to know someone who's brother works there and well… I've already made a few _connections_ there previously" Walter smirked lewdly. I smiled, although Rogue looked less than pleased.

"As long as you have your ticket" the Shadow Dragon Slayer sighed. "Now we can go. It's only a half-hour walk from Magnolia, shouldn't take too long to get there" Rogue added, with a final nod from Sting. At that we all set off.

"I'm surprised you invited Walter to come" Sting whispered to me as we walked. I shrugged.

"I felt a little sorry for him. I figured he'd be alright to come, plus it means Blake and Cyrus can get stuff ready" I said. Sting nodded, although he was obviously against admitting my points were valid. We walked almost in pairs, with Walter going from walking beside one group, to just walking on a head and admiring the local views. Sting and I both walked together laughing and joking about the stuff we had gotten up to with our mates, earning collective looks of disdain and embarrassment from both Rogue and Gray in equal measure.

Once we were outside the town and close to our destination, the groups shifted. Walter walked with me and Gray, whilst Sting and Rogue lead in front; they knew the way better than me and Gray did. "There it is" Sting pointed after another five minutes of walking. Watching ahead, I could see a quaint-looking building, with steam rising out from somewhere behind it. A wooden fence outlined the area, marking out where the outdoor hot-springs were located. "Oh cool…" I breathed, grinning at Gray. The Ice mage grinned back.

"This is gonna be fun" he smiled. I nodded, _yeah… 'specially if I my little plan works_ I thought mischievously, my hand reaching down to my pocket and the concealed 'gift' within.

/

We entered the building and were met by an older lady and a young attendant. "Hello young men, do you wish to use our hot-springs?" the elder women asked. Sting, who was leading the excursion, nodded brightly.

"Yes. We have these tickets here, are they valid?" he asked. At his prompt, we all took out our tickets, and showed them to the elderly lady. She glanced over them and nodded, her mouth forming a crooked smile that revealed one or two gaps in her teeth. "Why certainly, if you would like to follow me we'll show you to your rooms" she said politely, gesturing for the young attendant to take our tickets from us as we followed.

The elderly women took us to three separate rooms. "I'm afraid you might have to pair up, you see our building isn't very big and we like to keep as many rooms free as possible. I do hope you understand" the old women said with an apologetic bow of her head. Sting grinned.

"That's fine. We can share, right guys?" he looked to Rogue, me and Gray in particular. We all nodded.

"Excellent. Each room comes with its own hot spring, and there is also a variety of meals to choose from later. If you require anything just find my daughter, Zasha" the women gestured to the younger lady, who bowed.

"I will be happy to assist you in any way I can" she said. We all nodded in understanding, before we were each handed a room key. "I hope you enjoy your time here" she added, before bustling off elsewhere, the elderly women not far behind.

We nodded once more before proceeding into our shared rooms. "Thank you" we replied.

/

 **Gray POV**

"Woah, this place is _great_ " Natsu beamed brightly at me as he bounded into the room. I smiled as I closed the door that the excited Dragon Slayer had burst through. "Yeah, it is" I agreed, quickly surveying the place. There appeared to be three rooms; a central sitting area with a sliding door to the outside hot spring that was currently ajar, allowing the faintest trails of steam to waft in from the bubbling pool, as well as an adjacent bedroom and bathroom. "So, what did you want to do first?" I asked Natsu, who was busy lounging around on a low-laying floor sofa, smiling up at me.

"I don't know. I'm kinda hungry after that walk… but the hot springs sound _so_ good" he said indecisively. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Always thinking about food…" I sighed. Natsu laughed.

"Aw, you can't say you're not hungry too, right?" he mused. I shook my head.

"Well… I guess you have a point… but I think I'd rather try out the hot springs first, before we get something to eat, sound good?" I asked the pinkette, who grinned brightly and nodded.

"Sure" he said, jumping up from the floor "Plus, then I get to see you naked" he added, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a quick kiss. I smirked into the kiss, before I gestured to the table that was situated in the center of the room. Natsu followed my pointing, and frowned. "What is it?" he asked. I unraveled his arms from around me and went over to the table, plucking the paper from on top that the Dragon Slayer had conveniently missed. "It's some sort of rule book… let me see. Okay, there doesn't say anything 'bout us _not_ getting in the outside hot spring naked" I grinned. Natsu grinned back.

"Why'd you even care anyways, you always walk around naked, you pervy popsicle" the pinkette laughed. I punched him lightly on the arm, before pulling him in close.

"Because at least I have the decency to follow the rules at the places I stay in" I stated, before kissing Natsu's lips softly. The Dragon Slayer slid a hand up my back, and under the loose-fitting shirt I was wearing. As we kissed he rubbed soft circles into my back. "Come on, let's strip" I said, before Natsu nodded.

"Heh, okay, but we can only do each other" he said, his tone suggesting there could be no argument about this. I laughed and nodded in agreement, before quickly stripping off Natsu's open-fronted waistcoat, feeling his abs as I did so. _Fuck it's been too long since I got to do stupid stuff like this with him_ I thought, as he struggled unbuttoning my shirt. Cursing, Natsu shifted to tugging my trousers off, so I unbuttoned his belt before quickly undoing the rest of the buttons on my own shirt, allowing the fabric to fall to the ground and join the growing pile. "Come on Natsu, I woulda thought you'd be good at stripping down by now, given how horny you can be" I poked fun at the pinkette. Natsu shrugged of the joke.

"I can rip it off if you prefer" he said. I shook my head.

"No thanks, I've only got these clothes with me" I replied. Natsu smirked as we both stood in only our underwear. Before I could do anything, the Fire Dragon Slayer grabbed the waistband of my pants and pulled hard, the fabric tearing quickly. "Wha- I thought I said _don't_ tear 'em" I barked in surprise. Natsu grinned and pulled off his own underwear.

"Trust me popsicle, you aren't gonna need 'em whilst we're here" he said with a lewd expression. I felt my member harden instantly at his lustful stare. _Fuck fuck fuck… that horny bastard…_ I couldn't help but feel a little excited. Or even a lot excited. _Today was going to be fucking amazing. Literally._

/

The hot spring was amazing. Although the room was clearly meant for a couple, it could easily fit six people in it, perhaps more. The water was treated with the utmost care, allowing for most of the natural minerals to still be present, whilst still keeping it immaculately clean. As Natsu saw the pool, I could see the child-like glee pass over his face. Striding into the heated water he plunged underneath before rising above the surface and smiling at me. "Come on Gray, this is _amazing_ " he called, with only his head and upper-torso above the surface. I laughed and followed him in, sinking down into the shallower water. Unlike Natsu, I stuck to the seated area near the edges, although it wasn't more than a few seconds before the Dragon layer plonked himself down beside me, and his water-slickened body wrapped itself around me. "I love this place already Gray, we gotta come back here some time" he sighed contentedly. I nodded and rested my head back against the rocky side, my eyes closed in bliss as the luscious warmth, and the feeling of Natsu's hands softly caressing my body beneath the water, lulled me into a peace I had not experienced in a long time. "I agree… this place is great" I admitted to the Fire Dragon. Natsu mewled a little in satisfaction, resting his headed on my shoulder.

Unfortunately, our peace wasn't to last. Just as I was getting comfortable, I heard a sniggering sound behind me. Opening my eyes, I glanced up and almost jumped up out of the water, before I realised what that would do. "Walter!" I exclaimed. Natsu's and my head whipped around to stare at the teenage Requip mage, balancing effortlessly on the high wooden fence that separated the outdoor areas for each room. The dark-haired mage smirked, his blond tips lowered from the heat of the steam, although there wasn't a droplet of water on his almost naked person. "Howdy" he greeted us, bare feet clinging to the wood easily as he bowed slightly. He wore only a tight-fitting pair of underwear that ill-fitted his person, revealing more than me and Natsu would care to know. "What are you two up to? Nothing… _suspicious_ going on under there, is there?" he grinned, eyebrows raised in amusement as me and Natsu sunk lower into the water. It was impossible that he could see anything _too_ bad, since the water retained its natural murkiness, however we still felt a little self-conscious. "What the hell do you want?" I barked at the boy; I was hoping I could stay alone with Natsu a lot longer than the short time we had enjoyed so far. Walter shrugged, walking up and down the fence with an extreme grace that seemed almost unnatural.

"I was just… bored… so I wanted to see how you were doing" he said. I sighed.

"Well we're doing fine. Why don't you go bug Sting and Rogue" I suggested, going back to resting my head against the side. Walter laughed.

"Heh heh, they said the same thing about you" he mused, "Regardless, I know that I'd only be a third-wheel for you two couples, however… Sting and Rogue _did_ also ask me to pass on a message" he added. Natsu furrowed his brows at Walter.

"What message?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked. Walter chuckled.

"They were wondering if you'd like to… well… I suppose the term would be _double date_ with them after dinner in their hot spring?" he said. Natsu looked to me with a questioning glance. _Really, leaving it up to me again…_

I sighed. "Sure, sounds like fun" I said, "Anyways, if that's all you've got to say…" I left the request unsaid. Walter bowed, his muscular body glistening in the mid-afternoon sun.

"That's fine. I will tell them… then I've got my own _pursuits_ to follow up" he smirked, "I noticed a party of fine looking young adventurers check in only a few minutes after us. Should be an interesting challenge" he laughed at his own sexual predations, before jumping down back onto his side of the fence. Only a few moments later we heard a loud splash, accompanied by the unmistakable shouts of complaint by Walter. _Ha, serves him right. Sting probably got sick of him after only one sentence_ I laughed internally, before I looked to Natsu. The pinkette had a very _fiery_ look to his eyes. "Now that he's gone…" he smirked, before he shuffled to sit on my knees.

In under a minute we were making out.

/

We spent quite a lot longer than we intended in the hot spring, and as we got out the evening air felt a little more chill. Getting changed as quickly as possible, Natsu and I rushed out of the doors to our room, almost knocking over a copper-haired young man. "Sorry" Natsu apologised as I locked our room. The boy shrugged.

"It's okay" he said, before another person looked over at us, eyes glittering with amusement.

"Hello again" Walter beamed, "You two off for dinner?" he asked. We looked to him, before looking back at the boy we had run in to.

"Yeah, I take it you won't be joining us" I said, pocketing the room key. Walter smiled predatorily.

"Yep, I've got my own… evening… planned" he looked the boy beside him up and down. He looked about the same age as Walter _physically_ , however after Walter's confession, we knew he wasn't all that close in age to the teen as people would believe. _Perv_ I thought slightly. The copper-haired young man looked between the groups for a moment, before looking to Walter. "So, Walter, are we…" he left it open for the Requip mage to answer. Walter nodded.

"Yup, come on" he grabbed the boy by the hand and led him into his room. Watching them leave, I glanced over to Natsu.

"You think it's creepy too, right?" I asked him. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah… kind of like dating Gramps" he responded. That thought sent a shiver down both of our spines. We were only broken out of it by Sting waving at us from the end of the corridor. "Come on guys, we've been waiting for ya" he called.

We nodded and set off down towards the dinner area. "Coming" I called back. Glancing back only one last time, and earning myself one last shiver of ever-so-slight disgust as I did. _And I checked him out on the beach too_ I thought in slight repulsion.

/

 **Natsu POV, a couple of hours later**

Sting opened their room door and gestured for us to go inside. "Come on in" he said politely. We nodded and went into the room. At one glance, I could tell it was identical to ours, save the clothes set out to dry. _So, Gray and me were the only ones to do it naked?_ I thought, an air of satisfaction rising in my chest that we got to do what others didn't. "So, should we just strip off now and head in?" I asked after Sting had closed the door. The White Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose" he said, before looking to his mate. "What do you think, Rogue?"

Rogue sighed. "Sure, sounds fair" he replied, before striding over to Sting. The blond smiled at the dark-haired mage, before giving him a quick kiss. Gray and I looked to each other, before we began undressing. Shirtless, Gray suddenly went pink. "Er… Natsu" he whispered to me.

"Hmmm…"

"I've not got anything to wear in the hot spring" he said. I went wide eyed as I remembered our earlier little strip-session. _Fuck, I shoulda thought of that_ I cursed inwardly. "Should we call it off?" Gray asked.

"Um… I…" I was unsure. Looking over to the other couple, Sting and Rogue were already in just their underwear.

"I take it _someone_ got rough stripping earlier" Sting smirked. Gray sweat dropped.

"Crap, did you hear that?" he asked. Both Sting and Rogue nodded.

"Yeah" They said in unison. I smirked at Gray, before sighing.

"I guess we'll just have to go back to our room then" I said. Moving to reclaim mine and Gray's clothes, I was stopped by Sting's sudden voice.

"You don't have to do that" he said. I looked up at the blond with a confused expression. Sting quickly rectified his statement. "I could lend Gray my spare pair" he offered. Gray looked slightly relieved at the suggestion, however I shook my head, which earned me a look of confusion from my mate. "Why not Natsu?" he asked. I frowned.

"If you wear Sting's stuff then… well…" I suddenly felt a little embarrassed to continue my sentence.

"Well what?" Gray inquired, pressing me for answers. Looking to him I saw his genuine confusion, and I quickly caved.

"If you wear Sting's stuff then you'll have his scent on you" I said. Instead of enlightenment, I saw even more confusion on Gray's face.

"What does that mean?" he stated, tone showing a little impatience now. I floundered, lost for words at how I could explain this. Luckily, Sting helped me.

"I think what Natsu means is that because you're his mate he doesn't want another person, especially another Dragon Slayer's scent on you. I can kind of get where he's coming from on that" Sting explained. Gray looked to me with understanding.

"Oh… but then… what do we do about the hot spring?" he asked not just me, but the room in general. Sting smirked.

"I guess we'll have to take a rain check on that. We can arrange a double date another time. I'm guessing that Natsu has some _other_ ideas for stuff to do" Sting raised his eyebrows suggestively. I smirked and nodded.

G sighed. "Sorry 'bout this. We can always arrange something when we're back in Magnolia" he said. Sting nodded understandably, before he wrapped an arm around Rogue.

"Don't worry about it, me and Rogue can always find something _else_ to do" he laughed. Gray smiled at the pair, before looking to me. I stood ready, holding his shirt and my waistcoat. Apologizing one last time, Gray and I left and returned to our room.

/

Re-entering our room, Gray locked the door as I threw our clothes down in an empty corner. "Well… that was a let down" the Ice mage said, "And I really wanted to ask Sting some stuff too" he added.

I looked at him with a grin on my face. "They said don't worry. What did you want to ask him?" I asked, moving to sit down on the floor-sofa, Gray beside me, our shirtless bodies cuddled together.

"Oh… nothing important. Anyways, what do you want to do now then?" Gray replied, I smiled.

"I've got a few ideas" I stated, before kissing him. _Now's my chance_ I thought, hand slipping to my pocket and the concealed gift there. Pulling away from me, Gray eyed me suspiciously.

"Okay… so… what are your ideas then?" he asked, obviously noticing my little movement. I smiled brighter, although I did fear his rejection a little.

"Well, since we didn't get to hang out with Sting and Rogue because of me… I could make it up to you with _this_ " I said, before pulling out the hidden bottle I had in my pocket and showing it to Gray.

"Oil?" Gray asked, glancing over the bottle in my hands, before taking it from me for closer inspection.

"It was just a stupid idea I had before we planned this trip" I half-explained. Gray eyed me with a mixture of expectancy and confusion.

"What, sex? That's not really much of a surprise coming from you, flame-brain" Gray said with a flat tone. I laughed, and took the bottle back.

"It's massage oil, not lube, popsicle. I was gonna give you a massage" I said amusedly. The Ice mage seemed confused by the proposition for a moment, before his face lit up.

"I can't say no to that but… I have to ask, what made you think of this?" he inquired, pulling me in close. I smiled and trailed a few haphazard kisses over his shoulder and neck.

"You were grumpy this morning so I tried to think of some ways to cheer you up. After Sting and Rogue gave us the tickets for this place, the idea really stuck in my head. I had Happy go buy some of this stuff for me so you wouldn't get suspicious if I went missing at the guild" I explained, a touch of red appearing on my cheeks. Gray laughed and ruffled my hair with his hand.

"Aw, I'm sorry Natsu. You know I'm better now, right?" he chuckled, "But I still won't say no to that massage" he added. I silenced his laughing with another kiss.

"That's fine, because I still want to give it to you" I replied, a smirk on my face, _I want to give it to you all right_ I thought devilishly at the same time as I spoke.

"Okay then so… how do you want to do this?" he questioned me. At that my smile suddenly slackened.

"Um… well…" I floundered, unable to answer, before I hung my head in disappointment.

Gray laughed at me for a moment, before picking my head up by my chin. "So, you thought of this, but not how or when you were going to do it, that's so typical of you Natsu" he smiled kindly, giving me an over-dramatic sigh. I smiled back.

"So… do _you_ know how we should do this then?" I asked the Ice mage. Gray smirked.

"First let's get up and go on the bed, then we can get started, okay?" he said. I nodded, and jumped up, pulling Gray up beside me.

"Alright" I smiled excitedly, wandering into the bedroom with my mate.

/

 **General POV. At the guild that evening,**

"Right, that's my part complete" Cyrus smiled at his own handiwork; a large magic circle inscribed in his flowing handwriting in the middle of one of the spare rooms of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

Blake nodded.

GOOD. THAT JUST LEAVES WALTER TO ACTIAVTE IT. I HAVE THE NECESSARY POTION PREPARED TOO.

He wrote. Makarov and the other Guildmasters, save Sting, who had mysteriously disappeared that day with Rogue. "Okay. So, we will activate the spell, find their base, and then prepare our attack" Makarov said. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes. We have made our preparations so that when we find their base we can get ready to attack at a moment's notice. We don't know if this spell will have any side effects, since it hasn't been tested like this before, and its highly likely that _he_ will know we've found him. He's annoying like that" the brunette explained. The other Guildmasters nodded.

"Understood" Makarov said, before Master Bob spoke up.

"If I may ask, what do you intend to do to Function? I understand the danger he poses, however at the same time I find it difficult to believe that you would be so willing to kill someone you yourself called a brother" the Master of Blue Pegasus said. Cyrus considered the question carefully for a moment before answering, noting the expectant faces on the mages assembled he knew his response could reshape their alliance.

"We will do what is necessary. If he is being fully controlled by the Code then we will have to kill him, in order to save Damien. It is cruel, but kind at the same time" Cyrus stated, voice flat and level, no hint of regret in it. Makarov nodded once more.

"Okay. With that in mind, have you put much thought into the teams we will be sending on this mission?" the older man asked. Again, Cyrus nodded, looking to Blake.

"We have got some ideas, but we must confer with Walter when he returns before we make any requests, if that is acceptable to you?" he replied.

Makarov nodded. "It is. If that is all, then I must retire for the night, there is a lot we will have to prepare ourselves for tomorrow, and rest will be important for that" he said. Cyrus smiled.

"Agreed, good night Masters" he bowed politely. The other masters return the bow with polite nods, before bidding goodbye to the pair. Once they were gone, Cyrus' face became withdrawn. "I just hope Walter actually _gets_ some sleep. Why did you agree to send him to a place full of guys in their underwear, Blake?" the Script mage asked with an exasperated tone. Blake just smirked and shrugged.

 _I thought he deserved some fun. It might be our last opportunity… since the code might be coming to an end very soon_ he signed with his hands. Cyrus sighed, he couldn't argue with that, not since he too had tied up any loose ends that he left himself that very same day.

They were nearing their end; the final goal was in sight, and then afterwards… death.

 _The Code must end_ he reminded himself as he left the guild that night.

 **Chapter 39 End**

 **Next Chapter; Face Off**


	40. Chapter 40 - Face Off

**Chapter 40 – Face Off**

 **Gray POV**

Natsu lead me excitedly to the bedroom of the hot spring. He was giggling almost childishly as he pushed me down onto the bed, sitting on top of my shirtless body. After a moment, the Fire Dragon Slayer leaned down and kissed me. "I'll start now, if you want" he said, taking the top off the bottle of massage oil. I nodded in response to his request.

"Okay" I agreed. Natsu grinned as he poured the oil carefully into his slightly-cupped hand. As he did he stood up and urged me to go further up onto the bed. I did, turning over so I was on my stomach, facing the headboard. After a few seconds, I felt Natsu's weight back on top of me, from the feel of it the Dragon Slayer was sitting on my ass. "I'll do your back first… then your front" he said, tone more matter-of-factly than before. I nodded.

"That's fine" I said, resting my head down and watching the pinkette through my peripheral vision. I noticed that his cupped hand was almost closed, and that he seemed to be waiting on something. _Wonder what? Is he nervous…_ I thought, already cooing over how cute that was mentally. "You okay Natsu?" I asked after a minute or so. Natsu looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah… I was just…" he leant down and began touching my right shoulder with his oily hand. "Preparing" he finished. I groaned as the feel of the warmed oil, and Natsu's equally warm hand, touched my skin. Natsu's touch was gentler than I expected, but pleasant; it was actually pretty good. As he rubbed my shoulder, spreading the oil out over more of my back, I slipped easily into a pleasured comfortability so close to sleep, yet not actually asleep.

After a while I felt almost boneless, and as the Fire Dragon Slayer crawled off of me, I felt like I could barely move to turn over. "Gray, come on. Turn around" Natsu said to me.

"Mm…" I hummed, flopping over onto my back so I could face the pinkette. Natsu grinned at me. "Have you… done this before?" I asked him, mind as hazy as my body. The Dragon Slayer shook his head.

"Guess I'm just talented" he said, before climbing back on top of me. With this more familiar position, one part of me, perhaps the only part that could function properly at this point, sprang to life. "Heh, that's for _later_ Gray" Natsu grinned, as he sat down on my groin, his ass so close to my quickly hardening member. Repeating the process from earlier, Natsu poured more oil onto his hand, heating it up with his magic. In order to distract me, Natsu leaned in and began slowly kissing my lips. The feeling made my member jump up all the more, only to be smothered by Natsu's weight. After a few minutes of slow kisses, the pinkette pulled away, the oil in his palm ready. He began his frontal massage by rubbing my pectorals, his hands doing slow, sensual motions over each muscle. Eyeing me up I could see the predatory dragon oozing out of him, so hungry and desperate, yet he kept it all in check. Going lower he began running his hands over my abs and stomach, slowly caressing each muscle exquisitely. It wasn't long before his fingertips reached the top of my pants. Eyes meeting, I knew exactly what his next move would be.

Sure enough, Natsu grabbed my trousers and pulled them down, along with my underwear. Kneeling before me, the shirtless pinkette looked so damn sexy I couldn't help but groan. Natsu tugged my own pants lower, until I was left completely naked before him. "So perfect…" he breathed as he looked me over. I would have felt embarrassed if I hadn't already been put into such a relaxed state by his massage. "W-well Natsu…" I said, looking at the greedy eyes of the Dragon Slayer. Natsu smirked hungrily and stripped off his own trousers, exposing his equally as perfect body to me. Before I could get a proper look, however, the Fire Dragon Slayer crawled back on top, kissing me hurriedly. I felt his lips connect and melted straight into the contact. Wrapping my arms around Natsu's waist we lay kissing for a few moments, the oil spread over my skin quickly being rubbed over Natsu's too. "Natsu…" I breathed as we broke apart. The pinkette smiled at me.

"I want to taste you so bad, _Gray_ " he said, leaning in close, the most beautiful emphasis on my name that I had ever heard. I almost moaned at just the words, however as soon as I felt Natsu's warm grip around my tip I was lost. "Agh…" I gasped out a short moan. The pinkette did not stop at just one, however, and quickly he was pressing kisses down my body, stopping only as he began reaching my groin. I looked down in half-pleasured glances, seeing how Natsu's head hovered only mere centimeters above my cock. _It would be so easy to thrust up and… Aggggh!_ My thoughts were broken as the pinkette licked a stripe from the base of my cock to the very tip, tongue lingering over the slit for a fraction longer to increase my pleasure. "So… good…" I moaned, as Natsu smiled.

"I want to give you so much pleasure Gray" he said softly, "Just… please show me how much you like it… moan for me" he added, before going down for another lick. I couldn't respond to his sexy words as I was left breathlessly moaning out nothing more than nonsensical noises. My moans seemed to encourage the Fire Dragon Slayer all the more, as Natsu shifted his head closer to my cock. From our position, I could see Natsu smile, just before he consumed my entire length.

Natsu's lips slid down until they met his hand at the base of my cock, before he rose up to just the tip again. Meeting my gaze, he flicked his tongue over my slit, eliciting yet another moan from my lips, before he began lowering himself back down again. Up and down he went, forming a steady rhythm. I could only think hazily for a few minutes, before I surrendered myself completely to the feeling. "Ahhhh… ahh… ahhhhh…" I moaned incomprehensibly. It wasn't long before I reached my limit.

"Natsu… I'm gonna… come…" I moaned out, hands snaking down and fondling the pink locks of my mate. Natsu responded to my warning by speeding up, focusing even more attention to my cock than I thought was possible. It was only when my back arched and my cum filled his mouth that I realised something else; he had been fingering my hole and I never realised. Swallowing every drop of cum I gave him, Natsu realised my member with a smile.

I smiled wearily back at him. "That was… amazing" I stated. Natsu nodded, before a hooded look overtook his features.

"Yeah, but you know what's gonna happen next, right?" he smirked lewdly. I nodded; those fingers had a purpose before, and it filled me with a whole new excitement at the thought of what came next. "You ready, or do you need a minute to catch your breath, _Gray_ " Natsu said, emphasizing my name again.

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck… too fucking hot for his own good_ I thought, my mouth twisting into my own lewd smile. "Fuck, I'm ready" I said after a couple of seconds.

Natsu nodded. "What you should say is; Fuck _me_ I'm ready" he grinned, before leaning down and crushing his lips against mine. I didn't argue, instead I melted into his touch once more, not for the last time that night.

/

 **Cyrus POV, the next day**

I sat around the guild hall doing nothing, a rare occurrence for me. At this particular moment, I _had_ nothing to do, so I sat awaiting Walter's return. After my agitation the previous day, when he insisted on going to the hot springs with the Dragon Slayers, he had promised he would be back by midday today at the latest, however knowing him he'd have found something to distract him from that promise. I would, as usual, wait for him loyally all the same; it was probably ninety percent of what I did anyways.

Looking at my watch I noted the time. _11:47_ I thought, _another 13 minutes, 12 minutes 34 seconds to be exact, before I get the right to beat that idiot 'round the head_. Thinking about the possibility of violence calmed my annoyance that this trip had been allowed anyways. Only a tap at my shoulder raised the earlier anger back up. "Hello Blake" I said, recognizing the shadow of my comrade instantly, as it stood shading my sitting form.

The Elixir mage smiled as he sat opposite me. _I was just checking you're alright. I can see the distracted look you had and thought there might be something you wanted to speak about_ he signed with his hands. I sighed, "No, there is nothing wrong. I'm just reserved to waiting for Walter to return" I said flatly. Blake chuckled silently.

 _Liar_ he signed, _you cultivate the image of being all robotic, but in actuality you care. Why else would you so desperately cling to that unfinished book?_ The questioned surprised me, although perhaps not as much as Blake's stony gaze. "I always loved our master, we all did. Is it so wrong to want to finish his work?" I asked. Blake shook his head.

 _No. It is not wrong, and that was not meant as a slight against you. I just want to make sure you are prepared for the coming time_ he signed before his gaze flicked up, _as you always tell Walter and me, we know what must be done_. I nodded, reading that last of his hand-signs, before I followed his eyes to a place to the right of me, near the entrance. Only a few seconds later, a blur of motion ended with Walter bowing at me humbly.

"Hello honey, I'm _home_ " he said in a cocky, sing-song voice. I scowled, my conversation with Blake forgotten as I stood up from my seat. Standing up against my slightly taller companion, I smacked him around the head.

"One minute, forty-three seconds late" I said sternly. Walter rubbed the back of his head.

"Heh, guess if I was gonna be late anyways, I shoulda enjoyed my time with that kid… er…" the Requip mage floundered for a name. I rolled my eyes and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off towards his make-shift office so I could ream him in private.

"Never mind your little _habits_ now, there's work to be done" I said flatly. Walking away I could see the shaking of laughter in Blake's shoulders. _We near the end, yet nothing has changed. Walter's still an idiot, Blake's still looking out for us, and I'm still left babysitting_ I mused, before I shut the door behind Walter, runes to block all sound forming over the wood.

"Now… you know what you must do" I began. Walter nodded.

"Yeah… guess it's time" he replied, voice a little sad.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gray and I had arrived with Sting and Rogue back at Magnolia around noon, Walter setting straight off for the guild a little earlier than us. We had agreed to arrive for the spell-casting at 2PM, so that gave us some time to kill before we needed to return to the guild. After my slight suggestion, Gray and I left Sting and Rogue to their own devices as we set off for my house in the woods. Seeing us leaving, Sting pulled us aside, asking where we got our pastry sweets from yesterday. Smiling, I told him which street, and then simply informed him to 'follow his nose', since that was exactly how I had found it in the first place several months ago.

As we left I looked back to see Sting dragging a slightly reluctant Rogue off towards the patisserie. "Ha, I wonder if Rogue likes sweet things?" I mused to Gray, who chuckled alongside me.

"He doesn't. He mentioned it last night whilst I was talking with him" Gray stated, eyes dancing with amusement. I looked at him suspiciously.

"When did you two talk?" I asked. Gray sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Whilst you and Sting were busy seeing who could hold your breath for longer underwater, remember?" he said, knowing full well all I could really remember was me and Sting sticking our heads in buckets of heated water from the hot springs and seeing who could last for longer. All the same I nodded. "Yeah… anyways, what do you want to do now?" I asked, taking Gray's hand as we snuck off out of the busier streets and onto the off-track path to my house. Gray shrugged, giving me a slight smile.

"I don't' know, although… we never did get to do those snow globes, did we?" he said. Hearing his suggestion, I gaped, before I went wide eyed at the memory.

"Oh… I said I wanted to do that the morning after we bonded, but then… well we decided to do it that evening and… then Hope kinda ruined that" I said in realisation. Gray seemed to note my slightly downcast tone, and wrapped his arm around my waist as the house came in sight.

"We'll do 'em now then. I don't really mind, since I forgot to remind you anyways so it's not really your fault" he said comfortingly. I smiled at his show of calm, and pure love. Nodding vigorously, I grabbed his arm and began to move more quickly towards the house, urging Gray to follow me.

"Come on then, then after… how about we go get something to eat?" I said excitedly. Gray smiled and laughed as I pulled him along.

"Deal" he called out, before we entered the house and hunted out the snow-globe lacrima Gray had given me on our last date as just 'boyfriends'.

/

 **A little while later**

Gray and I entered the guildhall stuffing more delicious pastries into our mouths for the second day in a row. Upon entering we were met by an entire cohort of wizards, including Gramps, Sting and Rogue. I noticed instantly the slight flakes of pastry around the White Dragon Slayer's mouth. _Had to rush that last one because we entered, did you?_ I laughed, before turning to the group.

"So, what's up guys?" I asked. Makarov smiled.

"Natsu, you sure are in a good mood. It makes me happy that you and Gray seem so much more friendly these days" the old man noted. I smiled at the old man's words, although inside I felt panic rise.

"Oh… er… yeah, I've just not felt like I needed to fight recently" I said, trying to cover my slight panic; luckily Gray was there to help me.

"I figured that as long as I keep feeding the flame brain, he'll stop attacking me" the Ice mage stated. Despite his inference, I felt thankful for his intervention and sent him a silent thank-you. Makarov nodded.

"At least you've found something that you can agree over, now… we need you upstairs" he said, gesturing for the stairs that lead to the more secluded part of the guild. Nodding in understanding, we stuffed the last of our pastries as we walked.

After only a few minutes of being led by our Guildmaster, we entered a side-room that I don't think either me or Gray had ever entered before. "Hey guys" Walter greeted as he entered. We looked to the Requip mage, who was flanked by his other two partners, as well as the other Guildmasters. Jura, who I guessed was here as a member of the wizard saints, and Erza, who I guessed was just here to stop any arguments me and Gray _could_ have, both stood to the side. Walking into the center of all the groups Gray and I both ended up looking to the same location; the large magic circle in the center of the floor, writing in the same weird runes as Cyrus' magic. "Yes, that is the magic circle you'll both need to stand in" Cyrus stated flatly as we stood gawking at the incredibly intricate construct.

Walter scowled at his guildmates flat, and almost condescending tone. "Cyrus, please let me explain it" he said, an unusually confident, leader-like quality to the teens voice. I was mildly surprised. _If he's acting like that this must be important_ I thought. Looking expectantly at the Requip mage, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "Right, so you are aware of what we intend to do here; use your mental link to the Nightmares you fought, the memories you have of them, to track their current whereabouts, since that will lead us to our ultimate enemy" Walter explained. Gray and I both nodded.

"You're going to use this magic circle to do it?" Gray asked, Walter's nod confirming what Cyrus had already just told us.

"Yes. Before we begin, however, I must make you aware that this spell hasn't been tested to this extent before, and we don't know what affects it could have either on you, or on everyone here. Knowing this do you still wish to continue the spell?" Walter continued, stopping and waiting for our confirmation. Both Gray and I gave it readily, already having guessed yesterday that this would be said. "Okay, then I guess I'll break down how this is going to be done. As you may have guessed, first you'll need to stand in that magic circle. But before you do, there are also two other parts that must be done. The first of these is to drink a tincture Blake produced yesterday. While not dangerous, it is unlikely your memories alone will allow for the spell to work to its most efficient, so this little mix will stimulate your memory to make the spell more effective" Walter continued. As he spoke Blake produced two cups, each with a small, oily-black liquid in them, offering them to me and Gray. Gray looked to me as he took hold of his cup. His face was all I needed to know he was thinking the same as me; _what the hell is this stuff, it looks awful…_

I gave the liquid an experimental sniff; it smelt strongly of an odd combination of citrus and mint. While not unpleasant, it did not urge me to drink it. Walter watched our reactions with mild amusement, before speaking again. "After you have drunk that mixture, you can step into the magic circle. Once that's happened, I'll Requip into the necessary outfit, and then I will begin the process" Walter finished. I looked to Gray, a slight glint in my eyes.

"Well… down the hatch. One…" I said to him with a giggle, starting off a countdown. Gray smirked back at me.

"Fine, you wanna make this a competition too, pyro. Two…" he replied, continuing my count. I laughed and after a moment we both grinned widely.

"Three!" we both said, before glugging down the mixture. As I hurriedly finished, I realised Gray was already done.

"Hah, I was faster, pinky" he said cockily. I growled competitively and went to reply, before I remembered that Erza and Gramps were in the room. _Probably best not, since they'll beat me around later if I retort. I can always pay the ice-cube back later… whilst he's asleep…_ a few ideas popped into my head as both Gray and I handed our cups back to Blake. Looking to the Ice mage, I nodded.

"Fine. Let's get on with this" I said, tasting the slightly sweet aftertaste of the drink. Gray nodded back and together we stepped into the circle. Walter smiled and cocked his head to the side. "Ready?" he asked. We nodded once more for confirmation. "Right, then I guess I'm the only one who's got something left to do then… Requip" he said, before a light overtook his form.

/

Walter's change only lasted a few seconds, before he stood in an entirely new outfit, one that none of us had seen before. "The third of my Divine Garments; the Dream Lord, Hypnos" he said, gesturing down to himself. The suit he wore was a pink-purple colour and covered in gold and silver eye patters stitched into the mystery fabric. The shirt underneath was a bright yellow colour, whilst the trousers and shoes were a pinky shade matching his suit. Only the darker purple waistcoat seemed slightly off about the suit, although it was not the most eye catching of the ensemble; that was easily the gloves he now wore. Over each hand, Walter wore a glove with golden fabric palms and silver fingers. On the finger tips, there was sported a single eye symbol each, this time in purple. "This suit gives me power over people's minds and dreams, through its power we shall scan your mind and try to locate the Nightmares from the memories" Walter explained. I took in the information, but couldn't help as I gawked at his bright get-up.

"And I thought the other suits were pretty weird" I giggled, "Seriously… where the hell do you get these?" I asked. Despite my tone, no complaint or threat came from Erza, who was probably as interested to find out as me.

Walter shrugged passively at the comments. "I admit this one's… _bright_ … but anyways, I know a guy who makes these, let's just leave it at that" he said, before changing topic quickly, "And now to use its power" he added after a moment of looks from some of the mages in the room who grew suspicious by his answers. "By this garment's rights I command the memories of Natsu and Gray to show themselves to me" Walter declared, reaching out with his hands to both Gray and me, fingers splayed out so the ten purple eyes stared directly at us. The spell was a moment in activating, but when it did a bright purple light emitted from the eyes on each of Walter's fingers, a light which quickly enveloped me, Gray, and Walter.

Then all three of us collapsed, only the warning from Cyrus giving anyone any time to catch us.

/

"Where are we?" I barked in surprise, the last memory I had was falling to the floor after the activation of Walter's spell. Glancing around I saw only blackness, along with Walter and Gray who stood in seemingly the exact same places as we had been only a moment ago. Walter smirked at us, bright suit still present.

"We're in the space between asleep and awake, and that's all you need to know. You wouldn't really understand how this magic works, so let's just skip all the pointless questions and instead focus on getting those memories" the Requip mage said, unusually serious for once.

"Oh…" I said, still confused. Gray noticed my looks and slipped an arm around me.

"Don't worry Natsu, I don't get it either" he said, before looking to Walter, "So, how are we gonna find the memories with this?" he asked the Requip mage.

Walter smiled. "Well… you just need to think hard about the fight and then… well… they should just show" he half-explained, losing composure quickly.

"You don't really know, do you?" I asked inquiringly after Walter finished. Walter hung his head.

"I've had this suit a while, although it's not my oldest. As of this minute I have three 'divine' Requips, however I am getting another prepared for the coming fight. This suit's more geared towards _information gathering_ … so I don't really have much use for it regularly. Normally I just put people to sleep and manipulate their dreams, this is a first for me" the teen explained. "Regardless I think it works under the same principals" he added after a moment, a slight smile sent towards us. We both smirked back, glad of Walter's honesty.

"Alright, so should I try first?" Gray asked. Walter shrugged.

"Yeah, that might work" he said, "I'm just here to guide you through this, its Cyrus' spell which is doing all the information recording, and it'll be the spell that'll find out where our enemies are" Walter added.

Gray nodded as I allowed my gaze to fall on him. "So… I'll just try thinking" the Ice mage said unsurely, "Nightmare of Faith, Nightmare of Faith, Nightmare of Faith" he repeated. I gave him a confused look; _He's trying to trigger the memories with speech?_

"Silver, Dad, Natsu, fog… er… fog" Gray continued. After a few more words a hazy picture began swimming out of the blackness beside Gray. I glanced over and saw as the image solidified, Gray did too after a moment, before he smiled. In the picture, we could see Gray standing off against his dad; the picture showing Silver frozen in ice as ice exploded forwards from Gray like a tide, freezing the fog and also the young boyish Nightmare I recognized from Kardia. "This was when I figured out how to remove that kid's illusions" Gray said, tone slightly confident and cocky. If I wasn't transfixed by how hot and confident he looked in the picture, I would have probably tackled Gray to the ground right there and kissed him breathless for that tone of voice alone.

"Hah, I knew you could do it" I praised him happily. Gray nodded.

"You already knew that, Natsu, otherwise we wouldn't be here talking, would we?" the Ice mage chuckled. I squeezed him in a slightly too-tight hug.

"Shut up and let me praise you for once, snowball" I retorted, before Walter coughed to interrupt us.

"If that's Gray's memory, then all we require is Natsu's" the Requip mage interjected. Despite disliking being told to stop hugging my mate, I couldn't help but note the growing fatigue in the other teens voice. _This spell wears him out fast, so he wants it done quickly_ I thought, nodding at Walter. "Alright, I'll try the same as Gray. Spider, Spider, Spider, Spider, Spider" I said, going quickly into a chant, "Spider, Sting, Sting, Fire, Cyrus" I added. After a few moments of chants, just as it had done for Gray, an image faded into view beside me.

As soon as I looked at it, however, I did not make any victorious comments, rather I immediately tensed, anger bubbling up in my chest rapidly. At the same time, Gray looked with confusion and pity to the scene where multiple fake-Gray's, and fake-Rogue's, were slaughtered, over and over again. "Natsu…" the Ice mage said quickly, looking to me, "Natsu… it's okay" I immediately felt his arm tighten around me. The anger in my chest was quashed quickly as I stopped watching the dreaded scene, and instead buried my face into Gray's shoulder. "She made me watch loads of fake yous die. Even though I knew they were fake I still… I still…" I couldn't finish as I broke down quickly into Gray's embrace. The raven head nodded in understanding, cool fingers brushing through my hair.

"It's okay… like I said, these are just memories…" Gray soothed me. I sighed, trying to release all my anger before I spoke again. When I did, it was to Walter, not Gray.

"Okay, we've seen this stuff, can we go now?" I asked. The Requip mage nodded.

"Yes, although… before we do you might want to turn around…" he said, a slight smirk to his face. Turning in the direction he stipulated, I saw a third, more recent, memory-image, this one much clearer than the rest; one of me shirtless, sitting on top of a shirtless Gray at the hot-spring. I blushed instantly. "That showed whilst you two were embracing… is it what I think it is?" Walter chuckled accusingly. I scowled at him.

"I was just gonna massage Gray, nothing more" I barked. Walter nodded.

" _Sure you were_ " he grinned lewdly, "Anyways… I just hope Cyrus' spell only tells locations and doesn't capture those images" he said, before all the eyes on his suit glowed a pale-yellow colour. "Deactivate memory search" Walter commanded. The yellow light flashed brightly, and then suddenly we were awake, with Gray and me staring up at the ceiling of the same room in Fairy Tail that we had collapsed in. "Natsu. Gray. You're awake" Erza's flat voice sounded out, before the read-head's face came into view. I nodded.

"Yeah, guess we must be. That was weird" I said to her. Erza smiled at the comment.

"Cyrus' magic spell worked. Although… if you two thought that was weird you might want to look down…" Erza said, a faint blush touching her cheeks. Gray and I looked confusedly at each other for a moment, before looking down at ourselves, only then did we notice what she meant.

"Ah!" I shouted in surprise, leaping up. Gray followed suit.

"You two started spooning after being out for about two seconds" Sting said, with a mild grin of amusement. I scowled at him. _Fuck, this is gonna be difficult to explain_ I thought annoyedly.

Gramps seemed to observe me and Gray quietly, before he spoke. "Putting your sleeping habits aside… how was the result of the spell, Cyrus?" the old man asked the Script mage.

The brunette looked to a small lacrima crystal. "It's processing, it should take a few minutes. I will reconvene everyone in a moment. Let's give Natsu and Gray time to recover from the casting of that spell, I'm sure those memories were not pleasant" Cyrus said. The masters all nodded in agreement, as did Erza and Jura. Makarov looked to Gray and me for a moment, before smiling and nodding.

"Agreed" the old man said, allowing the others to file out, before leaving with Erza. Before the door closed I saw him glance back at us. "I would like to speak to you two later, okay?" he said. Gray and I nodded.

Once we were alone we looked to each other. "Looks like…" I began.

"We're gonna have to come clean to a few more people" Gray finished. I nodded solemnly, before patting his shoulder. Gray sighed audibly.

/

 **About five minutes later**

"Everyone, come here please. The location has been found" Cyrus' voice boomed throughout the guild, amplified by some runic spell. I glanced at Gray, who was busy lounging on the seat opposite me. A slight smile appeared on his face.

"Looks like our memories worked" he said. I nodded.

"C'mon" I gestured for him to follow me. Once more it had not gone unnoticed how pleasant I had been to Gray these last few days, as I heard whispers of conversations as we left the main part of the guildhall. _Best not tell Gray_ I thought, reminding myself of my mate's habit of overreacting.

As we neared the room where Gray and I had last had the spell used on us, I saw Walter enter, alongside Erza and Gramps. "They seem… cheerful…" I said, noting the smiles both the older man, and the not-so-young teen wore. Gray sighed.

"I swear if Walter says anything…" the Ice mage began, trailing off before he finished. I patted his arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry, I'll pin Erza down so you can get a few hits in" I grinned. Gray smiled back.

"I might hold ya to that, pinky" he said, making me chuckle.

"You might _only_ get one hit in though… I don't think I'd be able to hold Erza for long, and as soon as she saw us about to do that you know she'll beat the crap outta both of us" I replied. Gray nodded, before we reached the door to the room.

"It's okay. I think I'd just wait until Walter was alone" he reasoned, before we both entered the room and were met with a mixture of looks. Sting grinned brightly.

"Hey guys, _you sure took your time getting here_ " the blond said, wiggling his eyebrows. I scowled at him. _Could he make it any more obvious?_ I thought angrily. Everyone else in the room either looked at us with faint smiles, or odd looks.

"Down to business" Cyrus stated, removing the crystal lacrima from earlier from his pocket. "The spell reads as complete, with two successful readings for locations. Since the first reads here, in Fairy Tail, we can assume some rogue memories got in the way of the spell" Cyrus glanced up at me and Gray with an accusing look, "However the second is more interesting. I will project a map. I don't know the location yet myself, only that we have one" the Script mage continued. With interested looks on all of our faces, we watched as Cyrus used his magic to project a map of Fiore from the crystal lacrima, directly onto the floor around which everyone was crowded. As soon as he did this a voice sounded out.

"Oh dear…" Cyrus said worriedly. "That's not good" he added, quickly glancing to Walter.

"That bastard!" The Requip mage barked suddenly through gritted teeth; his fists were balled in rage. I watched the teens explosive reaction, before looking more closely at the map.

"What's wrong, Cyrus?" Makarov asked, tone showing he was as confused as the rest of us by Walter's sudden reaction. Blake shepherded Walter out of the room as Cyrus explained.

"That place won't take us very long to get to" Cyrus stated, "We know it very well".

Makarov glanced at the red dot that denoted the position of the enemy. Around it there seemed to be nothing but cold white. "What is that place, it looks like a frozen wasteland to me" the old mage said. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, it is… _now_. In times gone, however, that was the very spot, the very same spot, where our hometown stood, alongside many other smaller villages, and it is in those forests where our Master raised us" Cyrus said, cold logic in his tone; even he had to reign in his emotions when he spoke this aloud. I felt sympathetic rage build up in my own chest.

"So, they not only killed everyone you knew, but they took that place for their own base?!" I growled in mild anger. Cyrus nodded as Blake re-entered the room.

WALTER IS OUTSIDE. HE WILL BE LEFT ALONE FOR A WHILE.

The dark-haired mage wrote. All the mages present nodded; they could all understand why Walter would want to be alone.

"So, what do we do now?" Sting asked, directing this question more to Cyrus, who in Walter's absence had been left as proxy-leader.

The Script mage pondered the question a moment before responding. "I guess… we go ahead as planned. It is time to face off against Function and his Nightmares, once and for all" the brunette said.

Everyone nodded in agreement; with what they knew of the three, and with what they had just witnessed, we all felt as if one of our own had been slighted.

Guildmates never left their own to fend for themselves. What had once been a secret battle, was now war, with the fate of everyone hanging in the balance.

 _Well… no change there then_ Natsu thought.

 **Chapter 40 End**

 **Next Chapter; Raid and Separate**


	41. Chapter 41 - Raid and Separate

**Chapter 41 – Raid and Separate**

 **General POV**

Walter stood alone, observing the scene from his hill-top vantage, the night sky an excellent backdrop to the ominous fortress that stood before him; his enemies heart. It had been two days since he and the others had located the hide-out and although he had remained angry and foul-tempered for most of that time, now it was only a matter of hours before their strike and Walter found no anger left in his soul. The teen Requip mage let out a slow breath through his mouth. "Tough time getting ready?" a voice said behind him. Walter whirled, fists raised and magic ready, before he noticed the newcomer.

Makarov stood with a wary-yet-friendly smile on his wizened features. Relaxing his shoulders, Walter turned back to survey the scene. "I'm just… anxious. This is the final moment for us, the culmination of all our efforts these last decades" Walter said with a tired voice. Makarov nodded in understanding, coming to stand beside the boy. His presence, the strong indominable will that emanated from him, calmed Walter somewhat. _Just like my own Master…_ he thought fondly.

Makarov was quiet only for a moment. "I understand your determination, however… I must ask; are you truly ready for this, to defeat your friend?" he asked with a caring yet still serious tone. Walter looked down, eyes meeting the steady gaze of the Wizard Saint. Eventually he nodded.

"Yes. It has been our sole purpose for everything, from learning these new ways of using our magic, to creating our _ultimate_ weapons… my Divine Garments are proof enough of that" Walter replied, tone even and steady. Makarov remained quiet for a moment, before he let out his own sigh.

"For your sake, I hope you are prepared" he said, looking out at their target's fortress once more, "I treat all members of Fairy Tail as if they are my own children, it is our way… and although you, Cyrus and Blake do not share our guild mark, you too have become part of our guild" Makarov stated, "I do not wish for any of you to come to harm, both physically and emotionally".

Walter almost gaped at the old man's words, before he caught himself. Instead Walter smiled. "Thank you, Makarov" he said, before turning his head, looking behind them both. "What is it, Cyrus?".

The brunette appeared from out of his darkened hide-away. "Prime, it is time for us to plan our attack, everyone is waiting on you" the Script mage informed him. Walter nodded, looking over to Makarov one last time before following his companion.

As the teen passed out of sight Makarov's face relaxed, a more worried demeanor taking over his features. _I guess they are willing to go through with it after all… to fight their friend, their very own brother… I just hope that Natsu and Gray are not dragged into this like they have been with all the other fights_ Makarov thought _they can fight… but why is it them who always is put into such terrible circumstances as they have been?_

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gray and I sat alone, the rest of the assembled wizards were off in the clearing that was currently being used as our base of operations. We were trying to decide a very important matter, and one that had been much debated these last two days. "Are you sure about this Gray, because you know we don't have to?" I asked the Ice mage that I held in my arms. Gray nodded, head resting further on my shoulder as we lay against the bough of one of the pine trees in this almost alpine setting. The only thing missing would be the snow.

"Yes, I am sure, Natsu. If… if anything should happen to either of us I don't want there to be anything I regret. Hiding this is one big regret" Gray said calmly. I checked his scent just to be sure one last time; although his scent almost blended into our surroundings, all this piney freshness around us, I could still pick out his scent with ease, he was my mate after all. _He's calm, slightly afraid but calm. Guess he really is seriously ready for this_ I thought. "Okay, so we're gonna do it now?" I asked him. Gray sighed and rolled his eyes at me.

"Yes. We've talked about this for two days, we're doing it now" he said. I smiled, kissing him sweetly.

"Okay" I said, before motioning to get up, Gray right beside me. "So how do you wanna do it?" I asked him. He smiled.

"I've got an idea" he grinned mischievously. Watching his face as he explained his plan removed any doubt in my mind if he was ready.

 _We're finally gonna go public with our relationship_ I thought, excitement and happiness close to bursting inside of me.

/

Gray and I left the shadows of the forest behind us as we trudged back into camp. Re-entering the space, we were quickly met by a not-so-smiley Sting and a seriously-not-so-smiley Erza. "Where have you two been?" Erza asked flatly, "The meeting deciding our strategy has had to be delayed because we couldn't find you" she added. Me and Gray panicked quickly, no matter how happy I was about finally revealing our relationship, dealing with a pissed-off Era always came out on top of things I would avoid, and killed my elation stone dead. "Oh erm… we had something really important to talk about… and well…" I stammered, finding no excuse that would pacify the read-head. Erza's glare intensified, and she seemed ready to strike me.

"We have something to tell everyone!" Gray blurted. Erza paused, Sting's face dropping, before he seemed to register something in my eyes. Then the blond grinned.

"You do?" he asked, with a slightly accusing tone. The volume Gray had blurted that statement out at seemed to have caught the attention of many other people around us.

"What are you two idiots making a racket about?" Laxus asked, coming over and joining in the conversation.

"Oh well… um…" I stammered. _This was not how it was supposed to go!_ I cursed inwardly.

"What's going on guys?" Lucy asked concerningly, quickly followed by Cana and Levy, both asking similar questions.

Finally, there was one last voice that rose above the rest. "What's going on here?" Makarov's sharp tone strung out across the group. The growing number of mages that surrounded me, Gray, Erza and Sting shrunk back as the tiny Guildmaster approached. "Natsu, Gray. I hope you two are not making a nuisance of yourselves. This is an important time" Makarov said as he walked towards us. Erza looked apologetically at our Guildmaster.

"Sorry Master, I was just getting ready to bring Natsu and Gray to the meeting, that's all" she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Is that right?" Gramps said, before looking to his grandson. "Laxus, were you just assisting her?" he asked. The Lightning Dragon Slayer smirked.

"I was just getting ready myself, before I became interested when I heard Gray shout about telling everyone something" the muscular blond man said. Makarov nodded.

"Alright then Gray, if that's true, what did you want to say?" Makarov asked, tone intrigued, although there was an underlying impatience to it. Gray began sweating under the old man's glare; I felt the sudden need to drag Gray away, out of harm, however I pushed this down. _If he's really ready he'll say it…_ I thought hopefully.

Gray gulped down, before standing up in front of a now silent accumulation of Fairy Tail wizards, with a few additions from Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, as Ichiya, Jura, and Lyon hovered near the back. "Well… I just wanted to say… just wanted to say…" Gray floundered for words, looking panickily at me. I urged him on, supportive love emanating from my body, or at least I hoped so. After a moment, I noticed Gray's shoulders relax, his scent changing.

"Well, what is it then?" Makarov asked, pressing Gray for answers.

Gray smiled. "I just wanted to say this" Gray said, before turning to me. I smiled, before Gray leaned in and kissed me. "Natsu and I are together".

There was a stunned silence.

/

Everyone stood watching us. I nervously smiled, hoping that Gray wouldn't just make a break for it and leave me to clear this up. The silence was only broken when Laxus blew air through his nose. "Is that all?" the blond said. I whirled my head round to look at him directly, surprise in my eyes.

"Is that all?" I parroted confusedly. Laxus smirked annoyingly at me.

"That's what I said" he stated, before turning and wandering back over to his area. I continued looking at him confusedly, before more people began to speak up.

"So you finally just come out and say it" Maccao said.

"Yeah, took your time, didn't you" Wakaba added.

"Hmph, I knew already" Gajeel mumbled. I looked from face to face as everyone either smiled, or began smiling.

"So… wait… you all knew?" Gray said, looking to me as if I'd done something wrong.

"I swear I didn't tell anyone" I said very quickly. Gray eyed me up further, from this distance I could see deep into the Ice mage's beautiful dark eyes.

"Natsu…" Gray said in a lower tone. I gave a panicked but innocent expression, hands raised up with my palms open.

"I swear I didn't tell anyone… but I did know a few more people than we expected knew about it" I admitted. At that moment, Lucy and Levy came up to us, both wearing big grins.

"I never expected you to just come out kissing!" Levy said in a surprised tone. Lucy pouted at her friend.

"Really, I couldn't have thought about them doing it any other way, since they're both such idiots with their feelings" the blond said in a mildly sarcastic tone. Gray and I narrowed our eyes at her, causing her to stop abruptly. "I didn't tell anyone either, just like I promised" she said. We nodded, before each of us broke out into huge smiles.

I looked to Gray with a bright expression. "Guess we weren't as sneaky as we thought, snowflake" I said. Hearing me refer to Gray by that nick-name made Lucy and Levy coo with excitement. I tried to tune that out as much as possible.

"Natsu, don't say stuff like that in front of everyone" Gray groaned, before he looked to Levy, "So you knew about us too then?" he asked the Script mage, who nodded in reply. "I'm guessing Gajeel told you?" he added, which again Levy nodded at.

Before Gray could ask me who else knew that he didn't know about, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted us. "So, that was all you had to say?" Makarov said to us. We nodded.

"Yeah… we've kind of been seeing each other for a couple months, right after I was taken" I said. Makarov smirked mischievously.

"I suspected as much, given how you're actions towards each other changed after that night. Based on Master Sting's glowing grin over there, and the fact Lyon isn't here asking a million questions means they knew too?" Gramps asked us. We nodded.

"A couple more people know, like Walter and Cyrus and Blake, but not many. We _tried_ to keep it quiet" I said, before Gray chuckled.

"Well, that was the idea anyways" he tagged on at the end. I smirked, before taking his hand in mine.

"I'm happy that you two are together. As long as you're happy I have no objections… and besides it'll save on bills too, since you won't fight as much" Makarov grinned. I shrugged.

"Only if snowflake here doesn't piss me off too much" I said, gesturing to Gray by raising our joint hands.

The tiny mage sighed. "I thought it'd be too good to be true… anyways, if that's all then I guess we should go to the meeting" Makarov said, turning to leave. Me and Gray went to follow him, before a sudden force sent both of us to the ground. Juvia lay on top of me and Gray, holding us in a way-too-tight hug.

"Gray! I'm so happy for you" she said, as she hugged me and my mate tightly. I would have objected to the stalker Water mage being so close to Gray, was I not in shock at the fact she was accepting of us being together.

"Juvia?!" Gray barked in surprise. Everyone stopped to look at the debacle, each with their own surprised face on.

"You're accepting of it?" I asked, gasping slightly as my ribcage was crushed in this very Erza-like hug. Juvia lessened her grip a little to talk.

"Yes, of course I am. If Gray's happy, then I am happy. At first your relationship surprised me, but then… well… I kind of went into Gray's apartment whilst you two were sleeping a month ago, and then I saw you two together. It didn't take a genius to realise you two were together, after all, you had been acting strange towards each other. I cried and left that night, which I'm sorry about, however after a while I found that besides myself, I could think of no better person to be with Gray than you Natsu" Juvia said. My emotions bounced around as I heard Juvia's explanation; firstly, I was surprised, then almost angry that she had broken into my mate's home, before I felt nothing but happiness that my biggest rival had been so accepting of this.

"Thanks, Juvia!" I beamed. The Water mage smirked darkly.

"Just so you know, if you do ever let my darling Gray go, I will be _right_ there to swoop him up" she said. I smirked ferally at the challenge.

"I would never let that happen" I replied with an equally dark tone. Gramps watched our interaction carefully, before interjecting once more.

"If that's all then… we still need to get to that meeting" he said. Gray, Juvia and I looked to the old man, before the Water mage untangled herself from us, allowing us to leave.

As we walked away from the main camp, Gray and I could do nothing but hold each other's hand and smile stupidly wide. It had gone way _better_ than we planned.

/

 **A little while later**

Gray and I walked out of the Triplet Code's tent tired and confused. The meeting had gone on smoothly, only the other Guildmasters present needed to be informed of our little _announcement_ , since it was pretty obvious something had gone between the Ice mage and me, given our goofy grins and our clasped hands. They had all promised Makarov to keep quiet, so Gray and I were quite happy.

As we went back to camp we found it oddly quiet, everyone growing tense in waiting for the final announcement from Walter that they were going to strike. Although I didn't pretend to know everything about the plan that we had just been explained, I understood the basic parts; Walter, Cyrus and Blake would take a select force of wizards through the side after the remainder of mages struck at the front gates as a distraction. Inside we would separate into teams and take out any Nightmares we find whilst Walter, Cyrus and Blake go find their intended target and took them out. Should any group find themselves overwhelmed they were to unleash something Cyrus called a 'psychic flare' before retreating and rejoining the main force outside.

The castle base was, apparently, covered in some kind of weird spell that prohibited any mage sensing the location of another mage within its walls, so Cyrus planned to locate the positions of the enemies by their magic signatures once within the bounds of the fortress itself, then special teams would go to these locations and take out their target. Lucy was paired with myself and Gray for this mission. _Nothing weird there then_ I had thought happily upon being informed of this, relief filling me that I had been assigned with Gray, not that anyone would really have blamed me for insisting I be paired with him either, especially given what we'd just announced.

After ten minutes of waiting around the camp the Guildmasters reappeared alongside Jura, and the Triplet Code. "Right!" Walter barked, voice grabbing everyone's attention and cutting short any hushed conversation that had formed. The assemblage of guilds all looked expectantly to the dark-haired teen. "We've decided on a plan. You will first be split into two teams. One team will be led by Makarov and the other Guildmasters, save Sting, and will be charging the front. Your mission is to distract our opponent and, if possible, take down any Nightmares that might stand up to fight you. Whilst this team does this, a second force lead by myself and my other Codes will blast through a weak point Cyrus was able to identify, and charge in from the side. We will now announce the members of the sneak-in team, anyone who is not called is therefore on the assault" Walter said, voice level and commanding. As he finished speaking, Cyrus stepped forward.

"On the infiltration team, will be; Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster," me and Gray nodded at each other, already aware of this prior arrangement, "Lucy Heartfilia, Gajeel Redfox, Laxus Dreyar, Wendy Marvell, Erza Scarlet, Jura Neekis, Lyon Vastia, Juvia Lockser as well as Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, and all respective exceeds" Cyrus finished, passing back over to Walter.

"Everybody got that? If you're not on that list you're on the front lines. Please try to be careful, and don't do anything rash, you're here to assist us, but you don't owe us anything. Your life comes first" Walter barked, tone serious, leaving no one room to argue back. No one did.

"We're going to split up now, everyone prepare, this is going to be one heck of a battle" Makarov shouted, walking off with the other Guildmasters, along with their group of wizards.

Once they were gone to some other position, Walter's face relaxed as he looked out over the group in front of him. "Right, so this is you're chosen team?" Laxus said, his gaze sweeping over everyone, including me and Gray, with an air of antipathy.

Walter nodded. "Yes Laxus, and now is not the time to get snotty. This mission is dangerous and I want everyone to get through it alive. I have a role for each of you, so please listen closely…" Walter then began to explain how each of us fit into his plan. Once he was done Gray and I looked at each other.

One thought crossed my mind at that moment, only one thought; _I will protect Gray!_

Judging from the twinkle in my mates eyes he thought the same. This made me smile.

/

 **General POV**

The infiltration team met on a grassy hillside, overlooking the castle below. All members were in attendance save Cyrus and Blake. It was surprising how easy it had been for them to get this near the fortress without suffering any attacks. Almost too easy.

"Right, is everybody ready?" Walter asked, leading the group from the front. Everyone nodded. "Good. Now we wait for the sounds of battle to fill the air and our strike may begin" the Requip mage grinned, "Coincidentally, Natsu… could you please assist me with blowing a hole in that wall. My fire power should be enough, however just in case…" he smiled politely. Natsu grinned back at him, eyes glittering with flames.

"Sure" he said. Walter nodded happily, although his face was tinged with as much anxiety as anyone else in the group.

"So… do we know what's on the other side?" Laxus asked. Walter shrugged in reply.

"Not really… from Cyrus' best estimates, based on common structures it will either be a room, or a corridor. In either case, there will most likely be a forked path in it" Walter said with a not-very-helpful pout.

Before anyone could point out how useless his information was, however, a battle cry sounded out from the far end of the castle fortress. "Hm, looks like it's time" Walter stated. The group nodded and formed up into the groups they had been pre-assigned. After another minute or so, Cyrus and Blake rejoined them.

They both panted slightly, clearly they had run around the distance from the overlook to the west, waiting on visible confirmation that a battle had begun. "They've started. Looks like two Nightmares went to engage. Seems like it's Pity and Disgust" Cyrus relayed sharply. Walter took this in and grinned.

"Heh, sending those two out was a pretty cautious move. Pity is useless at direct combat, focusing solely on inflicting pain on her enemies, whilst Disgust just goes berserk and tries to spill as much blood as possible. Neither is strong enough to stand against the likes of Makarov, or Mirajane. They'll be torn to pieces in seconds" Walter smirked confidently, before looking to Natsu. He nodded and stepped forward, Natsu did the same, before they all rushed down to the solid brick wall of the fortress.

"Is anyone else getting de ja vu?" Gray said with a slightly sickened feeling. Natsu looked to his mate with concern.

"Don't worry Gray, this time you've got me on the _outside_ of the fortress breaking _in_ , you don't need to worry about saving me" the pinkette said. Gray smiled slightly at the sentiment, before Walter broke off the moment.

"Requip" the teen mage barked, commanding his magic. After a second the boy stood in a bright red suit with flame patterns and matching gloves. Smirking wildly, he pressed a hand to the wall. "Ready Natsu?" he asked the Fairy Tail wizard, who replied with his own grin and a nod. Needing no further instruction, the two readied their magic. "Smokin' Hot" Walter laughed, as an explosion of flames rocked the wall, sending stone bricks collapsing.

At the same time Natsu breathed in deeply. "Fire Dragon Roar!" he commanded, flames spewing forth to join Walter's explosive attack. As the smoke and brick-dust subsided the team gazed not into some small black hole, but instead a giant gash that split the whole castle's side in two. Walter shrugged. "Oops, that was loud… although it's not like _he_ wouldn't have sensed us the moment we got to that hill" Walter debated, before tensing and looking to his team. "Everybody, move out!" he said, issuing the final command as the team set off into the castle.

True to Walter's word the place they entered was a triple forked corridor. Looking to the assigned teams Walter gestured as he gave instructions. "Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Happy with me. We'll head straight. Lyon and Jura, you go with us, but be prepared to split off. Cyrus?" the Requip mage looked to his teammate.

"There are strong magic signatures coming from all three directions" the Script mage said.

Walter nodded. "Then Gajeel, Wendy, Carla, Pantherlily and Laxus head left. Sting and Rogue, you and your exceeds head right. Jura, Lyon and Juvia, you go with Sting and Rogue, try to make as much noise as you can. Lector and Frosche, of course, you two go with Sting and Rogue too" Walter instructed everyone. Taking their instructions to heart, along with what Walter had told them earlier, the teams set off in their assigned directions, preparing themselves for the battles ahead.

/

Natsu, Walter, Gray, Erza, Lucy and Happy all rushed down dark, brick-walled corridors, passed seemingly unending numbers of identical, dark wooden doors, until they eventually reached a break point. And their first fight.

"Crap!" Walter cursed, as he led the group into a larger, octagonal room, with three exits. In the room stood a large number of cruel-looking individuals, along with a significant number of black-armored creatures. "What are those things? Golems?" Lucy asked Walter as all the people grouped up to face the smaller unit of wizards. The Requip mage nodded.

"Yes. They're dark soldiers summoned from Function's magic. Not deadly per se, just… annoying" he said with a slight smile, before looking to Cyrus, who had been tailing the group, stopping every so often to check for magical signatures, before catching up to them, Blake at his side as a guard. Seeing Walter's glance the Script mage closed his eyes. "There are two signatures, left and straight on. The one left is closer and is not as large as the further one. Looks like a Nightmare to me" the brunette informed the group. Walter took this in before looking back at the group.

"Alright, this is where we split. Erza, Cyrus and I will head for the larger signature, Natsu, you take the others left and take out that Nightmare. Cyrus will use a sigil on you now so we can communicate, okay?" Walter stated. Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy all nodded in understanding.

Whilst the others all formed a defensive line to hoard off the defending units of semi-skilled wizard-bandits and dark constructs, Walter, Cyrus and Natsu quickly underwent the spell. "Ow" Natsu said in surprise as a little mark was left where Cyrus touched him on his arm. Walter had a matching symbol.

"When you find it, and it _is_ a Nightmare, describe it to me through this and I'll tell you its weaknesses, okay?" Walter told the Fire Dragon mage.

"Got it" he said. Once more Natsu nodded, before joining up with his assigned team, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he started the charge through their enemies. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist" he commanded, flaming fists slamming into a number of people and sending them flying backwards. It was not as effective on the golems. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack" he then barked, smashing two golems to pieces in an eruption of red flames, Lucy and Gray not far behind him throwing Ice and celestial whip to clear a path. With them gone, Walter looked to Erza and Cyrus.

"Allow me to deal with this, if you please. You need to conserve magic power more than I do" he said politely, as Cyrus ushered the Sword mage back a little and threw up a quick defensive barrier of runes. Still donning his fiery suit Walter cracked his flame-patterned knuckles. "Let's do this" he laughed, "Swift Magic; Continuum" he added. At that command a flash of bright light emitted from his person, before fading quickly, seemingly without having any effect. Then hundreds of runes appeared before all the remaining enemies. With the appearance of the runes Walter took his first step, and appeared standing before a bandit-mage. Smiling politely, he sent a flaming fist of his own crashing into the mage, who crumpled down instantly.

Before that foe had even reached the ground, however, Walter had already taken another step, this time appearing behind a golem. Without warning he struck a flame-infused blow to the construct that sent it shattering into nothing more than magical energy. Taking another step, he appeared between two mages, and with a snap of his fingers the two were launched by an explosion of flames.

Erza watched as in seconds Walter appeared, seemingly at random, at different locations all around the room, striking and defeating all of the opponents that they faced. As the last opponent fell, Walter reappeared exactly where he had begun the fight, standing directly in front of Erza and Cyrus. The red head nearly gaped, had she not known about his abilities prior to this, although even with that knowledge, that display of power was impressive. "How did you appear around the room so perfectly?" Erza asked the pair as they began moving down the corridor Cyrus had identified earlier.

Cyrus decided to answer as Walter was panting a little too much to reply coherently, and Blake couldn't write a reply whilst on the move. "Continuum is similar, but not the same, as Swift Steps. Unlike Swift Steps, which can teleport anywhere within a limited range, Continuum allows Walter to follow a preplanned route at each step, provided it starts and ends in the same location. Those runes marked out the path he chose" the brunette explained. Erza took in this information, before looking at the back of the other mage who ran ahead of them.

"But to have planned all that out… in just a second…" even she was somewhat lost for words. Her surprise was muted however, as the group of four came out into another, much larger room again.

It was octahedral much like the last one, however this one had one difference; the large steps that ascended to a throne-like structure at the top. "You always were an arrogant one" Walter sneered. Looking past the Requip mage, Erza saw two figures standing at the top of the steps; one a teen about the same age as Walter, the other an older man in his early to late twenties. "Isn't that right, Damien?" Walter added.

The other boy smiled. "Walter" he said in a familiar tone.

 **Chapter 41 End**

 **Next Chapter; Brother's Battle**


	42. Chapter 42 Part 1 - Rage

**Chapter 42 – Brother's Battle, Part 1: Rage**

 **General POV**

Walter stood off against Damien; Erza, Cyrus and Blake all crowded behind and beside him. "Walter" the boy identified as Damien said, arms open wide, his tone familiar. Erza eyed up the boy seated on a plush-looking stone throne. As she stared at him, his face struck something within her, a sense of familiarity. Glancing to Cyrus and Blake, the red head noticed the slight slackness to their faces, a look of recognition. Then their eyes flared.

"Damien" Cyrus stated bluntly, "Function" he corrected a moment later. Blake's hand hovered above two of his potions, unlike his comrades he seemed more fixated on the older man stood beside their ex-friend.

"I see you took the liberty of allowing these pesky wizards into my base, my _home_ " Damien said, standing up. As he walked forward, Erza realised why he seemed familiar. His golden blond hair was swept haphazardly into some semblance of order, yet it still seemed casual, and acted as a perfect complement to the slightly rounded face. His golden eyes glittered with mischievous thoughts, but behind it was something intelligent; intelligent and deadly. With those looks he was the spitting image of the Nightmare of Hope that had seduced Walter.

"Walter?" Erza said to the Requip mage. The teen seemed frozen, anger clear in his eyes, but also remorse. Damien continued descending the steps until he stood three steps from the base. The other man stood a step further behind; he had an odd mixture of honey blond and chestnut coloured hair atop a relatively handsome face. Unlike the boy beside him, who had clearly built muscular arms and a frame reminiscent of Walter's, the other man held himself upright with a wiry, thin frame. Both wore formal clothing, with Damien in a deep blue suit, with crisp white shirt and a dark navy waistcoat, along with deep blue trousers and shoes to match. His companion only wore a pristine white shirt, a golden-coloured waistcoat, as well as deep black trousers and perfectly polished shoes.

"Walter. We came here to fight, not to stare" Cyrus stated. Walter snapped out of his thoughts and eyed Damien up, a slight smirk to his face.

"That's right, we did" he confirmed. Damien continued smiling, his companion was also wearing a bright grin, which he seemed to maintain throughout the conversation without ever wavering.

"M'lord… his arm" the man said, smile remaining impossibly in place even as he spoke. Damien nodded.

"Yes, it seems you have a call Walter. I will allow you to finish before we… begin" he said, gesturing to Walter's arm, and the glowing sigil there, visible even beneath his red, flame-patterned suit.

Walter pouted, before touching the mark. "Speak, Natsu" he said.

"It's me, Lucy. Natsu's out cold and we're fighting a Nightmare… he's strong and big… Natsu was knocked out and Gray's struggling to hold him back… what's his power… he's crazy strong" Lucy's voice came out crackly, like there was static in the background. Or the sounds of wizards being defeated.

"Oh no" Cyrus said flatly. Walter nodded.

"Right… this is what you need to do" Walter began.

/

 **A little earlier**

Natsu led Gray, Happy and Lucy down the corridor Cyrus had pointed out to them. As they charged they heard the sounds of battle behind them, before an echo of Walter's laughter played out. Then there was silence. The group stopped for a moment to catch their breath and gather their bearings. "Seems like… Walter dealt with them" Gray said in-between a couple of breaths. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah… I could hear him laughing…" the pinkette commented.

"Do you know which way we need to go Natsu?" Happy asked, not as out of breath as the others thanks to his flying capabilities. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked to his partner and shook his head.

"No. I can't smell anything… let's just head this way and beat up anyone we see" he said, a smile on his face as he suggested his too-simple plan.

Lucy sighed. "Well… that's about all we can do…" she said annoyedly. Gray shrugged, unable to get annoyed by Natsu's stupidity like he used to.

"Guess that's what we'll do then" he said, turning to look back down the way they came. "There's no one following us, let's head on" he gestured for them all to set off again. Natsu lead the group, since his nose and hearing would be their best bet to discover any sneak attacks, or other traps, before they were set upon the group. Lucy walked in the middle, Happy flying at her shoulder, whilst Gray trailed at the back of the group, his stony gaze occasionally glancing back to make sure they weren't being followed.

After a couple of minutes of walking the group came out into yet another large room, in the shape of hexagon. Besides its shape, this one was different from the last one in other ways; weapons were strewn about the place, and training dummies were hung and stood all along the right most side of the room. All but one of them was smashed to pieces. "What's this place?" Happy asked. Gray pouted.

"Seem's like a training room" he said, "Although… why's all the equipment smashed up…" he muttered. Natsu and Lucy looked about the room in confusion, besides the smashed dummies and weapons there was nothing unique about this room, and except for the archway they had entered by, there was only one other wooden door to be used as an exit. Lucy was about to question if the group should proceed through the door, when Natsu's voice suddenly shot up, echoing sharply throughout the stone walls. "LUCY, GET BACK!" he barked, grabbing the Celestial mage.

Before the blond could protest or ask why she had been grabbed by the pinkette, the door to the other exit exploded outwards from the room, crashing into the one remaining training dummy and smashing it to bits, splinters of wood being sent in all directions. "Ice Make; Shield" Gray commanded, an icy barricade forming to block the hail of wooden chips. As Natsu allowed Lucy to stand again, Gray joined them, standing beside the pair as Happy reeled up slightly above them. "What on Earthland was that?!" the exceed barked.

The answer to the question stood looming in the doorway. "What's with all this racket… I was _trying_ to get some sleep" a gruff voice boomed. Out from the hole in the wall where the door once stood, a great man walked out. Instinctively Natsu stood between Gray and the threat as the Nightmare came clear into view.

The man, or rather the semi-human man was muscular, and built like Elfman, except three times the size, with muscles twice any size that should be physically possible. "Who is that?" Happy whispered worriedly. Natsu growled lowly.

"Trouble" the Dragon Slayer replied, as the man looked to them. A vicious smile formed on his large, bald face.

"Oh… it's just some pests" he said darkly.

/

Gray watched the man carefully. The first thing he noted was not the man's seemingly impossible physique, but rather the four additional arms that came from his sides to make a total of six. "You're a Nightmare?" Gray questioned aloud. The man folded his multiple arms, smirk turning almost into a snarl.

"Oh… You're one of _those_ people, the ones that like to ask questions before they die then?" he said rhetorically, "Fine, but just know they annoy me" he added, nostrils flaring as he grunted in frustration.

"Answer our question!" Natsu growled, his hands were already balled into fists, and Gray knew he was holding back from his usual instinct to just lash out and charge head-long into a fight.

"Fine. Yes, I am a Nightmare… but not _any_ Nightmare. If mages such as you are in our base, then it must mean those annoying Triplet Code are here too… they _really_ piss me off!" the man said, instantly getting off-topic, curling two of his hands into fists. "Oh… don't get me wrong though, they will be an interesting opponent to crush, especially that fighting-based one… Walter I think he's called" he laughed deeply.

"Which Nightmare are you?" Lucy chirped up, trying not to sound afraid by this man's growling, booming voice that promised nothing but violence.

"I am a Nightmare, but I'm not just any Nightmare though" the man repeated, much to the annoyance of everyone present. Natsu was about to bark at him again, before the unknown opponent finished his sentence. "I am the Nightmare of Anger" he said, as he took a small bow, one hand rubbing his bald head as he stood up straight again. Unlike all the other Nightmares they had seen so far, he was not dressed in any kind of formal clothing, in fact he was hardly dressed at all. Wearing nothing over his top half, which exposed all his bulging muscles to public view, the self-called Nightmare of Anger wore only ill-fitting black trousers, and heavy leather boots.

"Natsu… this guy's trouble" Lucy said instantly. Memories of the first meeting of guilds swam into her mind. _'If they are Joy, Sorrow, or Anger then you must try to escape, do not engage them at any cost'_ Those were Walter's exact words. "He's supposed to be super strong" she added warily. Gray nodded, memories of that same warning filtering into his consciousness too.

"She's right Natsu" he warned. Natsu grunted, teeth gritted.

"We need to fight him though… those were Walter's instructions. We can't run away" he said defiantly.

"Are you done chattering, it really pisses me off when people talk. Less talking more _killing_ " the Nightmare shouted from his stance a few meters away. Natsu eyed him up.

"We can take him. We just need to see his power then we can figure out how to beat him" the pinkette said. Lucy pouted, her eyes narrowed on Natsu's form.

"But…" she started, before Gray interjected.

"Natsu's sort-of right… we _can't_ run, something tells me he won't let us get away easily" Gray said, motioning to the Nightmare before them. Lucy glanced over at Anger for a second, before returning her gaze to Gray. After a short stand-off between the blond and the Ice mage, she eventually caved.

"Fine. Let's fight" she said, readying her whip in one hand, whilst she picked up a key from her belt with her other hand. "You remember how Walter told us to fight, right?" she asked the pair. They both nodded.

"Yeah. I go in close" Natsu said.

"And I cover his ass whilst you try to aim for the weak points" Gray added. Lucy nodded.

"I'll take you out of danger too" Happy tagged on the end.

"Alright guy's, let's do this" Lucy said.

As the three wizards and the exceed stepped up to fight Anger, the Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "You finally done?" he asked in a bored voice. Natsu decided to give their group response.

"Yeah, now eat this ugly. Fire Dragon Roar" he commanded, flames spewing forth.

/

Natsu's attack was easily avoided by the muscular Nightmare, who just sidestepped outside of its range, laughing as he did so. "Useless" he muttered, making Natsu scowl.

"Huh, he's quick. Alright, I'm going in now" he said with a nod to Gray. The Ice mage nodded, Ice magic prepared to give the pinkette some cover.

"Go Natsu" he instructed his mate, before he unleashed as many spells as he could think of. "Ice Make; Lance… Ice Make; Saucers… Ice Make; Arrows" Gray barked out in quick succession, a hail of icy objects raining down on Anger's position. Natsu used the cover to reach the Nightmare quickly, however he was not prepared for the surprise that awaited him as he got close. Despite all the objects Gray had summoned, there was not a single scratch to the Nightmare's skin, not one even minor injury present on his person. "He's tough" Natsu commented, before he leapt up, covering the remaining distance between him and his opponent.

"Hah, is that all. A few Ice cubes?" Anger boomed mockingly. Natsu gritted his teeth as he tried to contain yet more of his growing fury; no one insults his mate's magic.

"No. Eat this!" he said, earning a slight glance from the Nightmare, who seemed to have failed to noticed him closing the distance so far, "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu's flame-enclosed fist slammed into the Nightmare's stomach.

The blow seemed to have little effect, however that did not deter the Fire mage, who was already readying another punch. Before he could land another strike, however, two of Anger's arms took hold of the pinkette's wrists with minimal effort, ensuring no escape or follow up attack could be made by the Dragon Slayer. Left dangling in this new position, Natsu was left shocked as the Nightmare brought their faces to the same level. "Was that supposed to be your big attack, Dragon Slayer?" Anger asked, tone bored still, "I could barely feel a thing. Your punch had no weight behind it, no strength. Heck, it didn't even move me one miniscule millimeter" the Nightmare's face broke into a menacing grin. "You're not even worth crushing. Just die" he added, before another of his fists came crashing into Natsu's stomach. As the blow connected, Anger let go of the pinkette, allowing him to fly freely. Natsu sailed back across the distance he had just covered, landing with a thud at the feet of a very afraid Lucy, and a completely stunned Gray.

"Natsu!" Gray and Happy cried out in unison, as they both went to the pinkette's side. Natsu was out cold.

"He's out… from just one attack?!" Gray stared in amazement at Natsu's condition for a moment, before his other emotions kicked in. "He's just been knocked out… in one attack… my mate has just been hit by one attack…" Bubbling with anger, Gray stood up and faced the Nightmare who had just harmed his mate.

"Gray?" Lucy's voice sounded out from behind the Ice mage.

"Lucy. Grab Natsu and keep him safe, give me some cover if you can. I'll hold this guy off, whilst you use that spell Cyrus put on Natsu to contact Walter. We need to know how to take down this guy, and quickly" Gray said, voice level, but with a distant coldness that promised violence was on the horizon. "Happy, you stay with Lucy too. Take Natsu out of here if there's an opportunity. He'll need to be kept safe until he wakes up" Gray added after a moment.

Happy looked worriedly from the Ice mage to the Fire Dragon Slayer and back again. "Aye… Gray" the exceed said, before floating over to the blond and the unconscious mage. Lucy nodded too, before a golden glow formed around the key in her hand.

"Alright Gray, I'll activate the spell, just… be careful" the Celestial mage said, as a spirit appeared beside her. Looking to the spirit, Lucy nodded. "Sagittarius, give Gray some help against this guy. Try to protect Natsu whilst I activate this spell too" Lucy instructed the horseman who had just popped into the world. Sagittarius notched an arrow.

"Righty-o my lady" he said, aiming the projectile at the Nightmare, but awaiting sign from Gray before he began firing.

Gray smirked, glancing back at the trio of Fairy Tailers and the accompanying Celestial Spirit for a moment before looking at the enemy before him. "Alright then" he said, eyeing up the Nightmare of Anger, "Now it's my turn".

Anger smirked at the show. "Bah… this'll be too easy; your pathetic little Ice sculptures aren't gonna do much against _me_ , at best you might be a little more entertaining than your friend over there, assuming you don't pass out too" Anger mocked, earning a glare from Gray. "It seems that hurting your friend has ticked you off though, so this _might_ be interesting… come at me, show me your strength" he said in response to Gray's daggered look. Anger opened his arms wide as an invitation to fight.

Gray took up his invitation readily. "Don't worry, I'll make this interesting all right. Ice Make; Sword" he said, icy blades forming in each hand as he rushed forwards. Taking this as a sign to attack, Sagittarius also began launching arrows at the Nightmare.

Left to spectate as Gray began to fight with the Nightmare, Lucy looked to Natsu. "Why is it always you and Gray who seem to get into trouble?" she said, before taking a hold of Natsu's muscular arm, trying to work out some way to activate the inscribed spell.

"How the hell does this thing work?" she added after a moment of trying and failing.

/

 **Back at Walter's position**

Walter pouted, touching the mark on his arm as Damien and the others stood watching, each with a varied expression. "Speak, Natsu" he said quickly.

After a short delay, there was a weak, but unexpected, reply. "It's me, Lucy" a voice sounded out. Walter's eyes widened a little in surprise, however he focused on listening to the Celestial Spirit mage. "Natsu's out cold and we're fighting a Nightmare… he's strong and big… Natsu was knocked out and Gray's struggling to hold him back… what's his power… he's crazy strong" Lucy's voice said. Even through the spell Walter could make out faint noises in the background; to him it sounded like Gray was fighting the aforementioned Nightmare alone, and he was not winning.

"Lucy, right. Which Nightmare is it, did you get a name?" Walter asked flatly, his voice level and calm, all his mental processes trying to act as tactician at that very moment.

Again, there was a delay before another reply sounded through the spell. "Yes, we got his name. He called himself Anger… I remembered you said he was super strong, however we couldn't escape… so Natsu and Gray tried fighting him, but he grabbed Natsu and knocked him out in one punch… how is that even possible… I mean… this is Natsu…" Lucy's voice held a tremor of fear about it, clearly the battle was not going well. Walter's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Nightmare of Anger.

"That bastard's tough…" he muttered, before a thought struck him. "Lucy" Walter said into the spell, "You said he struck Natsu. Was it with a weapon?".

There was a humming sound of disagreement from the Celestial Spirit mage. "No. He just punched him in the chest" she said. Walter smirked.

"Heh. Has he used any weapons yet?" Walter continued his line of questioning. Cyrus seemed to pick up on the train of thought that Walter had boarded and was now smiling slightly, much to the surprise of Erza, who was still recovering from the news that Natsu had been taken out in one punch by someone other than herself, and without it being a sneak attack no less.

"No. There was no weapon in his hands, but… I think something's up, he can't keep blocking Gray's ice sword with his bare hands, can he?" Lucy said through the communication spell. Walter nodded at the blonde's suspicions, not that she could see.

"You are correct, Lucy" he said quickly, "Right… with all the info you've given me, I just have one question" Walter paused to make sure Lucy was still listening. The sounds of battle grew louder in the background, and Walter could now hear Gray's curses as whatever he was trying was clearly failing.

"What is it Walter?" she asked hurriedly.

"Does Natsu have a mark on his body, not a bruise but some kind of… symbol I guess?" Walter asked. There was a slight ruffle noise as Lucy inspected Natsu's unconscious form.

"Yes!" her voice sounded surprised, "There's a red symbol on his skin where he was punched. What does that mean?" The Celestial Spirit mage's voice was growing weaker, drowned out by the battle occurring on the other end.

"Walter. Talk fast" Cyrus stated flatly at the Requip mage. Walter nodded to his partner in understanding.

"Okay. Lucy, listen close since it's gonna be up to you to make sure this works" Walter began, "Anger has two powers, one allows him to leave those marks, the other allows him to make weapons. Any damage he inflicts with weapons won't leave those marks, so he'll always keep two hands free. Target those hands and don't let too many of those marks get on Gray or Natsu. With their temperaments, it'll mean defeat, and death; most likely because of mutual destruction. Anger is an all-out fighter, he won't hold back and so you can't either. Try not to use any close-combat fighter spirits either. Got that?" Walter dictated hurriedly, pausing only for a moment to eye up Damien and his partner again, making sure they were not plotting anything. Lucy gave a noise of confirmation a minute later.

"Alright Walter. We'll try to run if we get the chance" Lucy said, before a loud noise sounded. "Gray's getting beaten back, we're gonna have to-" the noise stopped. Lucy's voice was gone.

"Damn" Walter muttered a curse under his breath. As the spell faded, he turned to look at Damien again. The leader of the Nightmares smirked.

"Oh dear, seems your little friend's gonna get crushed underfoot by all my anger… shame that. She sounded so pretty too, oh… but then again you wouldn't notice that in a _girl_ , would you Walter?" Damien said in a cocky tone. Walter blew air out between his teeth.

"Hah, like you're one to talk, Damien…" Walter began to snap back, before a shake rocked the room. "What the hell was that?!" Walter cursed.

"Sir, it seems like four more Nightmares have perished. From what I can sense, Pity and Disgust, who were stationed at the gate, as well as the twins, Excitement and Patience, have fallen. The latter two appear to have been taken down by a pair of Dragon Slayers, one of shadow and one of light" Damien's aide said after a moment. Despite the rumbling and shaking, he maintained his perfect composure and smile.

"Alright, alright Joy, I don't need a report right now" Damien snapped, righting his posture after the shaking subsided. The ever-smiling man nodded and took a step back, giving his 'lord' his space.

Walter smirked brightly at the report. "Thank you for that info, Joy" he beamed, "Seems like Sting and Rogue are quite capable at taking out your lackeys, Damien, and by the sounds of that rumble, they are making equally as quick work on your little fortress" Walter stated. Damien glared at the Requip mage, his first open sign of hostility since their meeting.

"Well, if it's your friends that are causing such disruption to my home Walter, then I guess I have no choice. Joy, let us deal with these intruders now, and then deal with their friends afterwards, the time for talking and idle-chatter has long-since passed" Damien declared. Walter cracked his knuckles at the declaration.

"Only took the destruction of four more of your Nightmares to piss you off then" Walter noted "Good to know…" Damien glowered for a moment, before Walter spoke again, "Finally decided to fight then too. Not going to send out some other Nightmare to do it for you?" the Requip mage asked. The boy smirked.

"I'm not fighting, I'm simply swatting a swarm of flies that have gotten too close to me" Damien retorted.

Walter smirked, before his legs tensed, ready to leap. "Well then, this fly will send you _flying_ " he said sharply, before leaping forward, body engulfed in flame. Joy leapt up at the same time to meet the flaming Requip mage and, at long last, the battle they had entered this castle fortress for began.

/

 **Meanwhile…**

Lucy stood, the spell on Natsu's arm was fading. "Damn it… guess it's up to us then, since Walter seemed tense, I'm guessing he was also getting into a fight too" Lucy said. Happy nodded in grim agreement.

"Aye…" he mumbled, before another crash from Gray and Anger's direction drew his, and Lucy's attention.

"Gray!" Lucy called out. The giant icy blade that Gray had conjured moments earlier crashed to pieces as Anger threw another blow in the Ice mage's direction.

"Agh…" Gray panted. Sweat was starting to drip along his body; he had been dodging every blow Anger threw in order to avoid the same fate as Natsu, however as the battle wore on he began to get tired and used his conjured weapons to defend himself instead. "Ice Make; Hammer" Gray commanded as Anger was about to bear down on his position. The Nightmare laughed, more out of boredom than of amusement.

"Not another ice cube" he growled, knocking the icy object away with his upper two arms, the lower four still bare.

"How's he blocking all my attacks?" Gray questioned loudly, noticing that Lucy was done communicating with Walter, and hoping she'd have the answer.

Lucy noticed his directed question, but could not provide the information he hoped for. "Gray, he can summon up weapons to use. He must have been doing it quickly to avoid us noticing" Lucy called out to the Ice mage. This information made Anger look to her, his dark eyes narrowing at her, and the horseman archer that still remained at her side. Like Gray's attacks, Sagittarius' arrows were also having little effect on the Nightmare. "Looks like the cat's out the bag now…" Anger rumbled, before a cruel smile twisted his face once more. "Which means I guess I can reveal my power" he added, before a bright flash occurred around four of his six arms; where the light appeared, a scimitar-like curved weapon materialized, leaving his central two hands free.

Gray instinctively rejoined his allies, putting distance between himself and those blades. "Things are just getting better and better…" Gray cursed sarcastically. Lucy nodded in agreement of his assessment, although she was pleased that Walter had given her this information in advance; being caught off-guard by weapons like those could have meant deadly consequences for them all. "Did Walter tell you how to beat this guy?" Gray asked Lucy as the Nightmare stared the two conscious mages down, his brutish mind thinking off all the ways he could slice up these two wizards.

Lucy shook her head. "He told us to target his free hands… but he also said not to attack close up" Lucy explained. Gray furrowed his brows.

"Why, I mean sure he's tough up close, but…" Gray seemed a little confused. Lucy gestured to Natsu, and the red marking on his chest.

"Because if he hits you with his fists he leaves those marks. Walter didn't say what they did, but… he said too many of them and you and Natsu would die" Lucy parroted the Requip mage's message.

Gray nodded in understanding. "Alright. I guess we'll have to keep him away then, got any ideas on how we can do that?" Gray said, eyeing up the Nightmare carefully. Lucy smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, I've got an idea…" she said, whispering to Gray as he kept watch on Anger's position. The muscles of the six-armed man were twitching in anticipation.

"Looks like he's getting ready to attack" Gray said after a minute, gesturing to the Nightmare. Lucy finished her whispering and stood alongside Gray, Natsu unconscious behind them both still, Happy floating just above them; he had been listening into Lucy's plan too.

Anger noticed the stances of the two mages and tensed. "I'm getting sick of your yapping… it's time to fight, wizards" he barked impatiently. At that Lucy and Gray nodded to each other, ready to fight.

"Sagittarius… fire on that guy the second he moves" Lucy told the awaiting spirit.

Gray smirked, "Ice Make; Ice Cannon" he commanded, cylindrical weapon forming in his hands. Anger reacted to the movements by tensing his legs.

"No more waiting…" he growled, taking a step forward, followed by another, "I'm going to tear you to pieces" he roared.

Beginning his charge, Anger was met with a hail of arrows, mixed with the well-aimed shots from Gray's ice weapon. Neither was effective, as he just sliced through each projectile with his summoned blades, however this was much to the expectation of Gray and Lucy by now. As Anger's massive form bore down on their position, Lucy finally put her plan into action. "Virgo, do it" she said, glowing key in her hand.

Anger came crashing to the ground a few seconds later.

/

"Virgo, do it" Lucy's command rang out. Much had gone as she expected, and happily she saw this part did too. The maid-spirit appeared in a flash of golden light; already aware of her princess' desires, she went to work immediately. Taking cover in the safety of the ground, Virgo sent the chains she wore out to meet the charging Nightmare, aiming not for his bulky upper half, but rather the thick, muscular legs beneath. Anger, rushing too fast on momentum to stop, noticed too late the plan, and his leg was brought out from under him by the chain that snaked around his ankle. "Argh… annoying pest" Anger bellowed, as he crashed to the ground.

"Hah, it worked!" Lucy cheered, as she and Gray put some more distance between themselves and the Nightmare, Happy carrying Natsu well above them like a doll. Sagittarius disappeared at the behest of Lucy, since she knew she'd need to conserve all her magic power to keep this up.

Anger was not down for long, as he quickly got back up, the chain from Virgo withdrawing, as the maid tunneled deeper into the ground, out of sight of the Nightmare. "Damn it!" Anger bellowed as he looked down into the blackness of the empty hole. Snapping his head back up to eye Lucy, he smirked. "That was a good trick, but it won't work on me again" he snarled, beginning to rush at the pair of mages once more. Lucy smiled, her hand hovering above her keys.

"Oh yeah" she barked back at the charging Nightmare. Anger took to her baiting with ease, his name-sake rage pushing him on to attack them both once more in a blind assault. As he neared Lucy and Gray's position, however, he felt a weight around his ankle, before he saw the trail of chain leading back to Virgo, who's head and shoulder's poked out of a newly made hole in the ground. Anger gritted his teeth as he stopped, not as much momentum pushing him this time. Grinning viciously, he tugged at the chain around his leg. This caused Virgo's arms to shake as she tried to restrain the Nightmare, however she did not budge. "Princess, he's strong. I won't be able to hold him for long" Virgo warned aloud. Lucy continued smiling, her old plan quickly being repurposed. After a short, hushed word to Gray, she picked up her Fleuve d'étoiles whip. "It's alright Virgo, just keep tight ahold" Lucy commanded her spirit, before sending the celestial weapon snaking over at the motionless Anger.

Anger, expecting her to try and hurt him with the weapon, readied each of his arms to counter the blows, however he was taken by surprise as the expertly send projectile snaked around the three arms along his right side and held them together in a bundle, bladed weapons disappearing as soon as he let go of them. "I've got you now!" Lucy cheered, as she and Virgo used all their strength to pin down the incredibly strong man. Anger began resisting the grip of her whip almost instantly, however Lucy would not back down. Not yet. "Gray, do it now!" Lucy ordered after a few moments, "Or he'll get loose".

Gray, who had been charging his magic power those last few minutes, smirked in response to Lucy's boisterous command-giving. "Okay. This ought to do some damage…" the Ice mage said, energy concentrating to his hands, as an icy mist rose up around him, "Ice Devil's… Zeroth Destruction Bow" Gray shouted. At the release of the spell, an ice-bow, made from purple Devil-ice, appeared in Gray's hands, and after no more than a second, a giant arrow of purple was propelled at the surprised Nightmare. "What the…" Anger exclaimed in surprise as the icy projectile tore through his right side, an explosion of ice encasing that entire side of his form.

As the arrow made contact, Lucy and Virgo both withdrew their weapons, the latter tunneling underground again in case she was required once more. Although the icy projectile had struck Anger, it did nothing near to what Lucy or Gray had hoped; the Nightmare's right hand side was completely encased in ice, whilst his other half, along with his head, was still open to the air. "You will pay for… this…" Anger grunted as he tried to heave against the ice. Gray stood shocked for a moment.

"It did… nothing…" he breathed in surprise, before the tell-tale sound of cracking alerted him that they were in danger. Lucy, who was not as used to the sounds of ice as Gray, failed to hear the noises. Realising this Gray grabbed Lucy by the shoulder and began heaving around the right side of their opponent until yet more distance was put between them and their foe. "He's not going to be held by that ice for long" Gray explained to Lucy as Happy struggled in the air with the still unconscious Natsu just a few moments behind the two.

Lucy nodded grimly at Gray's words. "Alright… my plan didn't work. We need to keep Natsu safe until he wakes up, it'll take both yours and his powers to defeat this guy" Lucy thought aloud, her mind trying to work out some way for all three of them to make it through this encounter alive.

Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything, and her time had run out. The ice around Anger shattered, and the overly muscular man turned to face the pair one last time. Snorting air from his nose, he spoke. "What are you gonna do now, weaklings. Your plan didn't work, and your ice can't do _anything_ against me" he said with a cocky tone. Before Lucy or Gray could reply with anything, Anger began rushing forward. "It doesn't matter _what_ you're going to do, because now I'm pissed, and I'm going to _RIP YOU BOTH TO SHREDS_ " he declared as he ran. Lucy smiled.

 _He seems to have forgotten about Virgo… but he still hasn't summoned some new weapons into his right hands_ Lucy though cautiously, hand hovering above her keys in case she need assistance quickly. Just as before, as Anger neared Lucy and Gray's position, Virgo popped out from the ground, sending her chains out towards the Nightmare's legs. Unlike the last two times, however, Anger smirked and leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the chains, before bringing his own counter-attack down to bear on the maid-spirit. Lucy could do no more than watch in horror as she saw the flash of light and large hammer that formed in one of Anger's arms, and could certainly do no more than scream as the blunt weapon crashed through the ground, bringing up layers of brick and earth, faster than Virgo could tunnel away. With all her cover gone, it was only a second later that one of the remaining scimitar blades sliced through the celestial spirits midsection.

"Virgo… no!" Lucy cried out as her summoned friend was sent away in a flash of celestial light. Gray tried to process what happened next, however even he was to slow to stop the next attack Anger threw at them. Not stopping to marvel at his work, Anger let go of the war hammer, casting it away back to the nothingness it came from, before he raised his swords, ready to strike at a stunned Lucy. "Lucy, get out of the way" Gray barked at the blond, jumping forward in her defense. Anger let out a dark chuckle as his three right arms slammed into the Ice mage, and sent him spiraling to the side, winded but otherwise conscious.

Anger then towered over a trembling Lucy. "You maid friend's gone, and you're all alone" he sneered, grabbing ahold of Lucy with two of his hands, "Your ice pal is gonna be next, and then that stupid cat and your weak pink buddy… but since you've caused me all this trouble, _you will be the first to die_ " Anger added, raising Lucy up so she was level with his eyes.

Looking into those deep, black eyes, she could see he wasn't lying; she really would be killed by him. "No… you won't…" she wriggled in his grasp, which succeeded only in making Anger laugh.

"No one is gonna save you, and you _can't_ save yourself. Just admit it, you're going to die now" the Nightmare stated, taking an almost childish glee in seeing Lucy struggle. Lucy continued struggling, however Anger was gripping her too tightly to allow her to even breathe, let alone escape. As she gasped for air, the Nightmare raised one of his swords to her neck. "I think I might take your head as a trophy" he said, "At least that might make me a happy" he added, before one final comment ended it all.

"Goodbye" Anger said. Then everything went white for Lucy, and her only sensation was of falling. Although her head was intact.

/

Anger raised the swords to Lucy's head, ready to decapitate her. "Goodbye" he said, in a very dismissive manner. Suddenly a great force was felt above him, followed by a near inhuman growl.

"Leave her alone!" something screamed, as it crashed down onto Anger's hulking form. Gray, who was still trying to recover from the blow he had received, could see only a brilliant flash, quickly followed by an intense heat.

As she got up from her crumpled position on the floor, Lucy saw someone standing in front of her. Natsu was awake once more, and he was angry.

"Are you alright, Lucy?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked, looking at his guildmate with concern clear in his eyes. Lucy nodded, as she felt herself picked up by some other force.

"I'm alright" she said to Natsu, "Just need to… catch my breath" she added. A feline face poked its way into Lucy's field of view.

"You're injured… I'll carry you" Happy said in a concerned tone. He had been deeply worried seeing Lucy's situation, however he had been probably the most surprised when Natsu just exploded from his grasp and landed on the Nightmare in true, epic fashion.

Lucy nodded to Happy in thanks as Natsu went over to Gray. "You okay?" Natsu asked, bending down near to the Ice mage.

Gray nodded, sitting up on his own. "Yeah, just got winded for a few seconds, but I'm alright now" he said, "I took that punch better than you" he added with a slight smile.

Natsu frowned. "Yeah, about that… what happened. First thing I'm fighting him, next Lucy is about to lose her head" Natsu stated with a slightly puzzled expression that in any other scenario Gray might have called 'cute'.

Instead the Ice mage just smirked. "You were punched and have been out cold. Me and Lucy have been having to fight this guy on our own, _and_ protect your unconscious ass" Gray explained.

Natsu took in this information as he helped Gray stand. The Nightmare of Anger was beginning to get back up again too. "Jeez, is this guy immortal?" Gray sighed. Natsu shrugged.

"If he is, it's not like we haven't fought guys like him before, right?" the pinkette stated. Gray nodded; at least Natsu had a point, sort-of.

"We can't get in close, he can summon weapons about as fast as Erza can, and if he hits us with his hands he leaves these marks" Gray gestured to his chest, where three of the red symbols were forming from when he had been struck protecting Lucy. Natsu pouted and looked down, noticing then that he had one too.

"What the… what do these do?" Natsu asked in surprise. Gray shrugged, looking back at the, now fully standing and still seemingly unscathed, Nightmare of Anger.

"Don't know, but Walter said it would be deadly and kill us" Gray commented. Before Natsu could ask any more questions, the Nightmare of Anger let out a rumbling laugh.

"Is that what Walter told you?" he chuckled deeply. Gray, Natsu, and the flying Lucy all looked in confusion at the Nightmare.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu barked, earning a slight glare from the Nightmare.

"You just said Walter told you those marks are deadly" Anger replied, earning yet more blank stares from the three.

"You mean they aren't?" Lucy questioned from above. Anger looked at her.

"Oh look, you're still alive" he said, before shaking his head, "And no, they aren't deadly" Anger added after a moment. Natsu smiled at Gray.

"That means we can get in close, right?" Natsu asked, flames forming around his hands, which were in turn balled into fists. Gray nodded.

"Right" he said. Anger laughed at the display.

"Wrong" he bellowed, drawing everyone's attention back to himself, "Those marks _aren't_ deadly, but now that they are on you, I can activate my _second_ power" Anger said.

"What power?" Lucy asked again.

Anger smiled. "Those sigils mark the special curse I place on people, the Uncontrollable Challenge. Your friends, now that they have those marks, will be forced to fight. For each mark I leave on my opponents, when activated they _triple_ the persons rage and hatred, making them go berserk. If two or more people have the mark then they will become obsessed with fighting each other _to the death_ , before they fight me" Anger grinned, explaining his power. Lucy took in this information, going increasingly wide-eyed. Natsu and Gray looked to each other.

"So, that's why Walter said 'mutual destruction', because you two already fight so much if you both got affected he knew you'd kill each other" Lucy gulped in realisation. Happy gave a worried look.

"But that's impossible" Natsu barked. Anger smiled.

"You can think that all you like… it's happening, _NOW!_ " he grinned. At his command, all the symbols on Gray and Natsu's bodies glowed a vibrant crimson, before a faint red haze overtook their forms. "Any minute now and you'll be desperate to kill each other" Anger stated, a cruel grin twisting his face once again, he waited a moment before he continued speaking. As he waited and watched the pair, the red haze lifted and his power was put in place. "Good, now you will _fight_. You'll fight and fight until there's only one person…" Anger's words trailed off.

Gray and Natsu were not fighting like he expected, nor were they doing anything even mildly aggressive. In fact, all they were doing was smiling. "I said it was impossible" Natsu smirked at Anger, Gray looking a little confusedly at the Dragonslayer; given what Anger had told him even he expected them to be fighting by now, especially given their usual attitude towards each other.

"But… how…" Anger grunted, an angry growl forming in the back of his throat as his words were now made empty by the lack of results.

Natsu continued smiling. "Gray, come here" he said, reaching out for the Ice mage and taking ahold of his hand, before meeting Anger's gaze. "You wanted me to hurt this guy, my _mate_ " Natsu said, emphasis being on the last word. The Nightmare's eyes flashed with realisation, and his stance turned from one of open gloating, to one ready to attack. Before he could make any other bellowed sentences, however, Natsu continued. "You wanted to make me _fight_ this guy here, _my MATE_ " the pinkette's words quickly became as angry and spiteful as the Nightmares had been previously, "No one, _no one_ , will _ever_ make me hurt Gray. I will never hurt Gray again" Natsu declared, before looking to the Ice mage. "Come on Gray, let's finish this guy" Natsu stated. Gray smiled and began rushing forward alongside Natsu.

"Yeah. Nothing, and no one will ever hurt you Natsu, not while I'm around" Gray said, earning an agreeing nod from the Dragon Slayer. Anger snarled at the pair.

"Even if there _are_ two of you, it will make no difference. I am the Nightmare of Anger, and I _will not be defeated_ " Anger spat, taking the two mages head-on. As Gray used icy weapons to deflect blows sent crashing down by Anger, and Natsu, in perfect sync with his mate, pummeled down on Anger in the openings he was provided with, Happy flew Lucy to safety in the corridor. Staying hidden, but where they could observe and support if needed, the battle between the Fairy Tail duo and the Nightmare General intensified.

Only when an explosion of flames and heat forced Lucy to shield her face did she look away, and by then the battle had been decided.

/

 **At Walter's position**

"Damn it Joy, let me past" Walter barked at the young man who blocked his path. The Nightmare of Joy shook his head.

"Not going to happen, I'm afraid. Only my dead corpse would let you pass, and unfortunately for you I have no intention of dying yet" Joy stated, the ever-present smile still on his face.

Walter groaned, before rushing in once more, flaming fists aiming for the Nightmare, who just effortlessly sidestepped the clumsy attack. Since declaring the start of their fight, Walter had been unable to land a single blow on either Damien, or his Nightmare minion, and unfortunately Damien had decided to take a back seat, throwing a few weak spell out at the group in order to remind them of his presence, and acting in defense by blocking the few ranged spells that managed to get passed his Nightmare General.

To make matters worse, Joy was not allowing a single person through to his master until he was defeated, leaving Erza, Walter, Blake and Cyrus stuck at the bottom of the stone steps, and their target at an annoyingly close, but still unachievable range, seated at the throne on the top. "Come on Walter, I would have thought you might be able to at least beat Joy" Damien smirked cockily from his seat.

Walter gritted his teeth; at this rate Damien could leave to cast the spell elsewhere, when the time came, and they would all still be stuck fighting Joy in this room when that happened. _I've got to do something, now… maybe Astraeus… or even…_ Walter's thoughts were interrupted by a jab from Joy that he managed to avoid only at the last second. The knife in Joy's hand glistened grimly. "Focus Walter" Joy warned in a sing-song voice, "Or else my little toy here will cut you".

Walter frowned at the childish tone in Joy's voice, however he was in no position to tell him to stop, since during the whole of their fight he'd been unable to even get as close to the Nightmare as that blade had to him. "I… will beat you" Walter said after a few moments.

"Oh, really now, because nothing you have done so far, any of you has done so far, has so much as _scratched_ me yet" Joy chided, "It seems like it could take the sky falling down on my head for you to beat me…" Joy added, raising his arms up. Suddenly a great rumble sounded out along the throne room.

"What was that?" Damien queried aloud, "Your friends destroying more of my fortress?" he asked Walter. The Requip mage shook his head, a smirk forming on his face. "Joy, did another Nightmare fall?" Damien then asked, turning his attention to his only ally. The smiling Nightmare brought a hand to his temple, sensing for the presence of the other Nightmares. As he did that, an explosion ripped through the side of the room, sending rock, brick and other debris flying all over, along with Walter, Joy and the other wizards.

Walter was the first up from the sudden surprise, quickly followed by Damien. The latter boy smiled at his friend, realising he'd lost his shield, before running off towards a door beside throne. Walter anticipated what his ex-friend would do, and using his time wisely, since the Nightmare of Joy had not yet reappeared from beneath the rubble, Walter rushed forwards and tackled Damien to the ground. "I'm not getting separated from you again" he said with a smile. Damien chuckled.

"So, I take it you _were_ behind that?" Damien inquired. Walter shook his head, and pointed over his shoulder to the large gap in the wall. Looking over Damien could just make out the unconscious form of a muscular, half-dressed man with six arms. "Anger? Defeated?" Damien asked in surprise. As if to confirm his suspicions, a pink haired mage erupted from the rubble alongside another dark haired one. "Hah ha" Natsu cheered triumphantly, "I knew we could beat him if we hit him enough".

Gray smiled at his mate. "Yeah… you were right" he said back.

"How… far did you… go… Natsu…?" Lucy appeared in the gap, panting madly. She had just run across several rooms, all now with large gaps in their walls.

Walter smiled at the trio, "Good job guys, you really helped me out" Walter called out to them, before looking back down at his own enemy, still being gripped tightly in his hands "Now… I've just got to deal with you" he added. Damien smiled at Walter's words, which made the Requip mage frown. A second later Walter saw the glowing lacrima in Damien's hand, but was too late to stop it.

"Fu…" Walter's cursing tone rang out, being cut off before he finished. Everyone present stared in surprise, looking to where Walter and Damien had been a moment ago, before they had vanished in an eruption of purple light.

 **Part 1 End**

 **Next Part; Smiles**

 **A Note from the Author; I would just like to take a moment to explain that Chapter 42 will be separated into 3 parts, culminating in overlapping events. The first, as you will have read, focused on the fight between Natsu, Gray and Lucy against Anger. The second part will focus instead on the battle that was going on in the throne room at that time, between Walter and co. against Joy. The final part you will just have to wait and see ^^**


	43. Chapter 42 Part 2 - Smiles

**Chapter 42 – Brother's Battle, Part 2; Smiles**

 **Quick Note; This part begins after the communication from Lucy in the previous part, but before the last part finished, just to avoid too much confusion ^^**

 **Walter POV**

I stood, looking at the fading spell on my arm. "Damn" I cursed under my breath. Lucy's voice had just cut off after something had happened between Gray and Anger. _That can't be good_ I thought worriedly for a moment, before I steeled my resolve. _They'll be fine. Gray's tough and Lucy is more powerful than some people believe, they should be able to handle that six-armed freak_ , I thought as I turned and looked to my own opponents, _us on the other hand… even with our strength this will be difficult_ I thought critically. My eyes cast over Damien, before I more closely observed his aide. _I don't know which of them will be more problematic… Damien's obviously the stronger one, but he'll play around first and underestimate me. I need that to work in my advantage_ Walter reasoned. Damien stood with a slight smirk on his face.

"Oh dear, seems your little friend's gonna get crushed underfoot by all my anger… shame that. She sounded so pretty too, oh… but then again you wouldn't notice that in a girl, would you Walter?" he said with a mocking tone and a slightly accusing glare. I sighed internally, blowing air out through my teeth as a faux sign of annoyance. _Let him think he can play me like he used to…_ I thought for a moment, _then get him ready to fight back. He might even charge at me out of self-confidence in his stolen power, giving me the opening I need to finish this quickly_ I added a little too-hopefully, as I formed a quick plan in my head. Once I was done I allowed myself to smirk.

 _If I want him to fight, best bite back_ I thought. "Hah, like you're one to talk Damien…" I began to retort, before a great shaking overtook the room. "What the hell was that?!" I barked in surprise; whilst the Nightmares were strong, there was no Nightmare that I knew of who could manipulate the earth or cause such a catastrophic explosive force. My question was quickly answered by the Nightmare standing beside my target.

"Sir, seems like four more Nightmares have perished. From what I can sense, Pity and Disgust, who were stationed at the gate, as well as the twins, Excitement and Patience, have fallen. The latter two appear to have been taken down by a pair of Dragon Slayers, one of shadow and one of light" they said in a very matter-of-fact tone, maintaining their composure despite all the shaking and rumbling. _Ah… Sting and Rogue exceed my expectations. How perfect…_ I thought as the trembling subsided, _best make use of this_ I added, adjusting my plan of psychological attack.

"Alright, alright Joy, I don't need a report right now" Damien snapped, righting his posture after the shaking subsided. _Good, he's as easily riled as he was back then_ I thought with a slight nod to Cyrus. We both noted the slight step back that Joy gave, probably to give Damien some space, but also to avoid taking physical abuse on top of the verbal abuse he had already received from the boy I used to call my friend.

Using the information Joy had provided me with to its fullest, I began smiling at Damien. "Thank you Joy" I beamed, "Seems like Sting and Rogue are quite capable at taking out your lackeys, Damien, and by the sounds of that rumble are making equally as quick work on your little fortress" I added with a slightly cocky tone. My jab seemed to work immediately, as Damien sent me a glare, the first honest sign of hostility he gave since we had entered the room. _Good, just a little more and he should get pissed off enough to fight_ I thought warily, preparing myself for that time hastily.

"Well, if it's your friends that are causing such disruption to my home Walter, then I guess I have no choice" Damien said after a moment, regaining his more stoic face "Joy, let us deal with these intruders now, and then deal with their friends afterwards, the time for talking and idle-chatter has long-since passed" he declared with a little over-dramatic tone. I smirked, and cracked my knuckles, after hearing his declaration I realised that the time for fighting had truly come. _He's not a front-line fighter, so if I want him in close range I'm gonna need to cover the distance_ I thought to myself, _Joy is an expert at evasive combat, and can best be used at close to mid-range, meaning I'm gonna need to get him out of the way in order to get at Damien_ I added, staring down the opposing Nightmare. Joy met my gaze, his nearly crescent eyes, and wicked, ever-present grin sending a slight pang of hatred through me. _Of all the Nightmare's he's the most twisted_ I thought bitterly, _but regardless, I must fight him. Guess I should push Damien's final buttons then, just to really get him in the mood_.

"Only took the destruction of four more of your Nightmares to piss you off then" I noted, earning another daggered look from Damien. "Finally decided to fight then, Damien. Not going to send out some other Nightmare to do it for you?" I added, trying my best to piss off this person, the last person I ever needed to fight. Damien smirked.

"I'm not fighting, I'm simply swatting a swarm of flies that have gotten too close to me" he retorted. _There it is. That cocky, prideful bastard I used to love. Too much the coward to face me directly though… from his tone of voice, it looks like I'm gonna have to be the one to get this started… for once…_ I thought, slightly amused by the irony that I was finally gonna initiate something, since Damien was always the one to initiate things in our previous relationship.

Smirking, I tensed my legs, ready to leap. "Well then, this fly will send you _flying_ " I said sharply, lacing the comment with as much venom as I could muster, before leaping forward, rapidly engulfing my body in flame. I noticed Joy leap up at the same time to meet me, and then with the clash of our two blades, my Requipped dagger against Joy's hidden blade, the battle had begun.

/

 **General POV**

Joy was quick to react against Walter's pre-emptive strike. Moving at high speed he leapt up, his wiry frame belying an incredible swiftness and strength that would have taken anyone but Walter by surprise, as the Requip mage was already so used to fighting this most annoying opponent from his previous encounters. Despite expecting a strong resistance from Joy, Walter was taken somewhat by surprise at the Nightmare's speed, and his Requip magic had barely finished when the materialized dagger, a plain steel blade, was struck against one of the many hidden blades that Joy carried on his person. "Damn, you're faster than last time" Walter commented as he and Joy broke apart from their brief, mid-air encounter. The Nightmare's smile widened somewhat.

"Well, humans aren't the only ones who spend some time training" Joy said, his tone a mixture of feelings that deeply unsettled Erza, who was amazed by the show of strength from the Nightmare since she herself knew how strong Walter's blows were.

"Cyrus…" the red head whispered quietly, whilst Walter and Joy stared each other off. The Script mage briefly glanced to the armored woman, before his eyes set back onto the battlefield once more, his mind working on a strategy to overpower their first obstacle and get to their target. "What is it?" he asked in an equally as hushed tone.

Erza frowned slightly at the dismissiveness of Cyrus' tone, although she understood that he was thinking. "What, or rather who, is this man?" she asked flatly, trying not to distract the boy too much, as even she knew he was probably the only mage currently in this fortress who could outthink their opponents. Cyrus didn't respond for a moment.

"He is the Nightmare of Joy, and probably the most problematic foe we could have faced" Cyrus stated semi-helpfully. Erza looked to the wiry man, who stood with a smile on his face, the crisp white shirt and golden waistcoat showing not even a crease from his swift-yet-elegant leap. Despite his physical appearance, he was easily able to deflect Walter's attack, and judging from the fact that Erza could see no weapon on his person, save a sabre that remained sheathed in his belt, he must have hidden it somewhere. "Why is he a problem?" Erza asked the Requip mage, although she herself might already have had an idea about the response to that question even before she asked it, given what she had just seen. Once more Cyrus was a moment in replying.

"Joy is a close-combat specialist. He can easily fight from a mid-range though, and he has on his person at least six hidden knives or blades. From past experience, he usually hides one up each sleeve, one in hidden sheathes on each of his legs, and two either in hidden pockets in his waistcoat or on his person" Cyrus explained quickly, before taking a moment to draw a slight symbol in the air with his finger, Erza had noticed him do that repeatedly since the moment they entered the room. "Additionally, the ones in his sleeves are attached to magically-unbreakable thread, so he can throw them and then draw them back for another assault. To top it off he also has hidden poisoned throwing darts, coupled with an annoying accuracy and speed that makes it near impossible to pin him down" Cyrus added as the symbol he drew faded into the air, seemingly without purpose. Erza nodded in receipt of all this information.

"Okay, so you've fought him before then" she stated, "And I take it he beat you?" Cyrus shook his head slightly.

"Not quite. Neither side won per se… Joy is actually a supportive unit, as per his ability. Normally he requires other Nightmares to fight front-lines and he swoops in and kills silently, more like an assassin" Cyrus answered, "Only Walter can keep up with him, which means me and Blake aren't going to be much use in this fight. Walter must finish him quickly, before we take on Damien" Cyrus added with a very sober, and solemn voice. Erza took these words in too, before she pieced together her own understanding in her head.

Looking back to Walter and Joy's positions, it appeared neither side had even moved a millimeter, as the two mages still stood watching each other; Joy from his position on the second last step, and Walter from his position a couple of meters away. Damien seemed to have returned to the top of the stone descent and was currently standing with a bored look on his face a few meters in front of the throne. "Are either of you ever going to make a move?" Damien asked after a while.

Walter didn't even glance up at the boy. "If you're not going to participate, then keep quiet Dame" the Requip mage stated aloud. Damien narrowed his eyes at Walter.

"Don't call me by that nick-name. I'm not your boyfriend Walter, I'm your enemy… you would do well to remember that" he said sharply. Ever since the two boys had set eyes on each other upon entering the room, Walter seemed to spend most of the time saying things that annoyed Damien; it struck an odd sense of de ja vu in Erza, like watching Natsu and Gray interact in the guild.

Walter smirked. "Really… but you oh-so-loved that name when we were kids" Walter said with a slightly provocative tone. Damien gritted his teeth, before he smiled.

"Fine, if that's your game, I'll play along. This is me getting angry and striking you, Walt" Damien said with a mock-angry tone. Walter didn't look up at the boy still, as he knew one move like that and Joy would kill him, however if he had then he would have seen the jet-black blade that was sent assailing down to steps towards him.

"Oh no you don't!" Cyrus called out, flinging a ball of yellow runes from his hand that quickly turned to a bolt of lightning. It struck the sword and destroyed it instantly. "Just because we can't fight Joy, doesn't mean we're completely useless, Function" Cyrus stated, eyeing up the Maker mage with an intimidating glare. Damien took the daggered look, before sighing and returning to his throne.

"Fine. But if you want to get at _me_ , then you gotta get past _him_ first" Damien said, gesturing down at his Nightmare companion, "Entertain me too, whilst you're at it" he added with an amused tone. Walter smiled broadly, matching joy smile-for-smile.

"If that's what you want…" he said, readying his magic.

Joy noted his opponent's stance, before laughing lowly. "You'll never get past me" he said.

Walter narrowed his eyes down to the smiling Nightmare. "Watch me" he replied, before dashing forward at high speed, and activating his Swift Steps. "Swift; 15 Steps" Walter called out. Joy raised an eyebrow at the call, before Walter became a blur of motion, appearing on the fifth step, behind the Nightmare. Smiling with pride at how quickly he had proven Joy wrong, Walter began rushing up the steps, Requip magic already working to summon up a blade and a gun for him to wield. "Requip; Viper Knife and Heart Seeker Gun" Walter commanded, a vicious, curved dagger forming in his right hand, its silvery metal blade adorned with an engraving of a serpent. The more familiar weight of a black gun, heart and arrow symbol visible on its handle, forming in his free hand. "I've got you know Damian, and with such ease too…" Walter called out, aiming the barrel of his gun down at his target on the throne. Damien did not even react to the attempt on his life, however his partner did. Joy's form rapidly appeared before Walter blocking his shot, despite the distance the Requip mage had put between him and his foe. "Damn!" Walter cursed, as he deftly dodged the thin knife that was sent on a course for his throat, "Didn't think you'd catch up before I'd kill him" Walter added, as Joy stood before him, second blade in the Nightmare's other arm being held back solely by Walter's Viper Knife.

"Oh you didn't listen then. I said that I had been _training_ these last couple of decades" Joy stated flatly. Once more his tone sent an odd feeling through Erza's spine and chest. _What he says sounds fine, but… the way he says it makes me feel like he's done something terrible…_ Erza noted in slight confusion. Cyrus seemed to note her uncomfortability too, and decided to help show her exactly why she felt that way.

"How, exactly, did you manage to get this fast, Joy? The last time you and Walter fought, Walter was by far the faster opponent" the Script mage called out to the Nightmare. Joy glanced in Cyrus' direction for a moment, which gave Walter enough time to reactivate his Swift magic and appear on the third step down from the bottom, quite a way still from Damien, although he had gained some distance at least. The Nightmare smirked at Walter's retreat, before deciding to acknowledge Cyrus' inquiry. "Well well, you finally decided to ask. I see that woman beside you is trembling slightly, does my presence upset her so?" Joy said with a faintly amused tone that made Cyrus frown.

"That's not an answer to my question" the brunette stated flatly, ignoring the slight look he got from Erza.

"Just as much fun as last time…" Joy muttered, before answering the question. "You must have figured it out by now, though… After our last encounter, I concede that Walter was by far the superior in speed, so I decided to train myself to a point where no target could ever outrun me" Joy explained, "In order to do this, however, I knew I couldn't just race with the few lackeys we keep around the place, so instead I travelled afar and found villages, peaceful, quaint little villages… and I slaughtered the entire population" Joy finished. The simplicity with which he talked about his murderous training invigorated something within Erza, a feeling which all Fairy Tail members cultivated quite strongly; Anger.

"You murdered people to train?!" the red-head barked in quick response to Joy's words. The Nightmare's eyes flicked over to Erza after her outburst, the glance he gave told her instantly that he had indeed done what he claimed. Despite the news, she was the only one surprised, since Walter, Cyrus and Blake all knew of Joy's monstrous habits. "You knew?" Erza accused as this realisation struck her. Cyrus' steeled gaze told her he did.

"I used to kill a few of the villagers, and capture the rest… then when I let them 'escape'… what fun it was to hunt them down and kill them, slowly. My blades would be soaked in their blood before I would return them to their cages alive" Joy added, musing over the increasing rage showing on Erza's face. Suddenly the rage gave way to confusion, however, and Joy's enjoyment of the situation increased dramatically.

"How did you hunt and kill them, but return them alive too?" Erza asked. Joy seemed to take great revelry in explaining this next part to her.

"Because I am the Ultimate Nightmare, and my power is the Endless Bliss" Joy stated with a wicked smirk on his face.

/

Joy looked down at the group with an analytical glance. His declaration appeared to be ineffective as it fell upon the group with only a mixed, and mild, response. Blake stood, silent as always, his face revealing no emotion to the Nightmare. Walter and Cyrus each held their own looks of recognition at the mention of Joy's ability, however neither spoke or responded. Only Erza gave any expression; in the form of continued confusion. Joy smirked, it was just as he expected them all to respond. "Predictable" he stated aloud, although no one was particularly bothered to ask as to what he was referring too. Ignoring this, Joy continued speaking. "I can see from your face, red head, that these three boys have told you nothing of my powers" he stated, pointing at Erza with a lazily held finger, before he crossed both of his arms over his chest.

Erza narrowed her eyes on the Nightmare; with each passing second that he spoke, she grew increasingly angry. She wasn't sure if it was because of his fixed, obviously fake, smile, or his dismissive, almost amused tone, however what she was sure of was that from the deepest pit of her being she hated this person, not just as her enemy, but as a horrific monster who would go to such lengths as to commit mass murder simply to improve his skills. "What _is_ your power then?" Erza asked the young man. Joy unfolded his arms and clapped his hands together.

"An excellent, and once again predictable question" he said with a slight giggle, "My power is the Endless Bliss, and through it I am able to control someone's memories, and through those memories, I can control their body" Joy stated.

Erza furrowed her brows. "How does that mean you could both kill someone and bring them back _alive_ to your base though?" she asked. As she asked this question, she noted the slight tension in Walter's shoulders. _What is he trying not to say?_ she thought suspiciously.

Joy smirked evilly at her. "It's really quite simple. Any person, any living being, stores every emotion within their bodies as memories. Through my power, I am able to restore them to a previous state of my namesake; I can revert your body to a time when you were last happy, happy and _healthy_ " Joy explained, "Provided someone isn't dead for more than a couple of seconds, as this is the short window before their soul and thoughts become inaccessible to me, I can bring them right back to have fun with me all over again" Joy added. Erza took this information in, and suddenly she realised what he meant, as well as why Walter had gone so tense with anger.

"You mean…" Erza gulped at the thought.

Cyrus turned and nodded to her, as he realised she now understood, at least in part. "Joy kills people and then brings them back, only to kill them again. Over and over again, he does it for his own amusement, seeing his targets suffer death a thousand times. It is for this reason that he is not only the most dangerous foe, as he can use his power on any of the other Nightmares to resurrect them, but also… he is the one opponent we cannot afford to let live. He has tortured many people for information in this manner, and I have seen many people go mad with his repetitive abuse of their deaths… of all the Nightmare's he is the only one that really _needs_ to die… permanently" Cyrus stated, before looking back over to the Nightmare one more time. Erza looked to the Script mage for a long minute, before her face went slack.

Facing Joy, with Walter between her and the Nightmare, she met the smiling man with the most deathly glare she had ever given; one that would have surely made Gray and Natsu fall down weeping in terror. "You're a true monster" she said flatly, "For your crimes I won't let you live" she added.

Joy chuckled at the remark, for it was not the first time he had heard those exact words used against him. "Oh really, and how are you going to kill me? Even Walter can't so much as lay a scratch on me, and his skills far surpass yours" he said with an amused tone, much like an adult replying to a threat given to them by a young child.

Erza's face became scornful as she replied. "Because now I understand your power and fighting style, which means I can support my friends by locking down your movements, and _together_ we can easily defeat you" she stated in an almost factual tone. Walter glanced back at her remark, a slight smile on his face.

"I take it you mean I fight him close up, whilst you stay back there with them to support from afar?" he called back, gaze keeping on the wiry Nightmare before him. Erza smirked, sending a nod to the teen. She looked as if she was about to say something, however another voice interrupted her.

"Things are finally getting interesting" Damien said from his slouched position on the throne, his voice rolling over the four wizards present and reminding them of their original intention for entering this place. "Guess if you're going to help your allies, then I should do the same" he added, before sitting upright. Walter smirked at the note of interest in the other teens voice.

"No more talking, just fighting, right?" he ventured, seeking reply from Damien before he decided to make his next move.

The Maker mage nodded, "Indeed, I believe that _is_ what I said earlier" he confirmed, "Now Joy… attack them, properly this time" he added, his voice even, but belying some slight interest in how the situation was changing. Joy nodded his head in recognition of his master's command.

"It, as ever, will be done m'lord" he declared, before a flick of his wrist made a blade seemingly appear in his hand, as the sleight-of-hand trick was too quick for even Cyrus' eyes to keep up with. Walter smiled at the Nightmare's bold move.

"For once, I have only one thing to say… You're dead" he stated, before rushing forward for the third time that battle.

/

Walter dived left, rushing along the ground, as his forward charged was met with a thrown blade from Joy. "Hmph…" he grunted as he used his hand to slow himself, before leaping up above Joy. "Guess I'll try this then, Searing Rain" Walter commanded, the flame-patterned suit he was wearing bursting into crimson flames, before rushing down to Joy's position.

The Nightmare sighed, although he continued to smile. "Dear me, didn't think I'd have to use this new trick so soon" he complained, before another swift movement with his other arm pulled out a small, disc-shaped lacrima. Walter eyed the device with suspicion as he prepared his next attack, keeping himself aloft using a continuous stream of fire from his feet, as he had seen Natsu do several times in the last few months of working with the Fire mage. Joy noted Walter's look, and chuckled lowly. "Null" he commanded, holding the crystal up as it shone brightly. The light from the crystal conjured up a screen, perfectly composed of glittering sparks, that dissipated the magical flames Walter sent raining down well before they could reach their target. Walter gritted his teeth and ceased his attack, seeing its futility.

"That's an annoying new toy you have" he said to Joy. The Nightmare shrugged.

"I didn't _just_ train these last few decades, I've collected the odd few tools too" he stated, before smiling broadly, "Tool's like this one, the Null crystal, although it can only be used once" he added.

Walter smirked. "If that's the case then… guess I'll try this then" he said, conjuring up a ball of flames into his red, gloved hands. "Phoenix Eye" he commanded, the ball of flames shooting forth from his hands, towards Joy's barrier.

"It won't work, since it will be nullified too. The barrier stops _all_ magic spells, regardless of their potency or effect" Joy said with an amused tone.

Walter grinned. "Oh really, we'll see about that" he retorted, before forming a hand sign, "Phoenix… awaken" he commanded. Joy watched as the ball of flame grew, elongating and changing shape until it was the perfect mirror of a giant, phoenix-bird. "The spell isn't just some destructive fireball, it actually emulates the mighty and beautiful phoenix itself. Even if you nullify a spell on contact, I don't think the barrier can stop something that can go around it" Walter boasted. As he spoke the bird-like projectile changed course, moving around to the edge of the barrier. Joy turned his head to look in the oncoming attacks direction, however he did not look afraid. A moment later the bird disappeared, as a glittering golden blade sliced through the air it had been accompanying. Walter gave a surprised look as he tracked the trajectory of the weapon back to the place where Damien stood. "You little…" Walter began, before the Maker mage silenced him with a cocky smirk.

"I believe I already said I would be assisting my ally" he stated, before pointing his arm at Walter. "Now… Let's see how you handle this. Yang Make; Glittering Blade of Null" he added, before light began pouring forth from his fingertips. It swirled together, reshaping itself to Damien's will, making a perfect copy of the very same sword that had just pierced, and seemingly stopped, the Requip mage's phoenix. Looking down at the blade, Walter gritted his teeth, his gloved hands immolating instantly, ready to counter the attack, although he knew magic would be useless against a weapon that could nullify its effects. "Damn it" he cursed, before glancing down at Joy. Behind his screen of magic, the Nightmare grinned; Walter could see the shine of, mostly likely poisoned, throwing darts between the fingers of the Nightmare. "Two attacks at once…" Walter muttered.

"Indeed" Damien stated, "Let's see how you fair. Now!"

At that command, Damien and Joy both sent off their respective attacks at the teen mage. Walter prepared his magic, hoping he could counter the darts and then drop down out of the air to avoid the blade in time, although it looked like it would be close. Suddenly a voice broke out across the room. "REQUIP!" It roared. Walter looked to his allies in time to see Erza stepping forward, her Heaven's Wheel armor glistening in preparedness for the moment it would be used. "Go my swords" she said, gesturing forward with one blade in her hand as three swords surged forward towards the steps.

The first struck Damien's golden blade from the air, sending it down to the ground where it clattered uselessly off of the stone below. The second struck all of Joy's darts, sending them spraying in all directions; One of the deadly projectiles was redirected towards Cyrus, however Blake stopped it instantly with a barrier of purple, gooey substance. The final blade that Erza sent out was aimed directly for the Nightmare of Joy, who gave a slightly annoyed grunt as he dodged deftly to the side, another hidden blade in his hand already redirecting the weapon away from himself. "Annoying woman" he commented, before trying his own attack against the redhead. With a flick of his wrist the weapon in his hand was sent surging through the air towards Erza.

"Watch out Erza!" Walter called out, although he didn't really need to since the Queen of the Fairies was already wielding two swords in her hands, the only tools she really needed to deflect the attack with ease. Luckily the blades were not needed, however, as Cyrus smirked. "You don't think I didn't prepare for this eventuality, Walter" he said, glancing up at the Requip mage, as Joy's thrown blade bounced uselessly off a barrier of complex runes.

Walter sighed with slight relief as the weapon was tugged back to Joy's hands, having not struck any target yet. "Should have known the boy would use a defensive spell" Joy mumbled, smile on his face a perfect contrast to the violent, hungry eyes. Walter smirked at the annoyance of the Nightmare.

"You contradict yourself so much, your attack failed yet you smile like an idiot" Walter goaded. The Nightmare glared up at the Requip mage's insult. "What do you have to smile for? For your complete failure?" he added, trying to insult his opponent further.

This comment, however, had the adverse effect, and the hungry eyes gave way to jovial amusement once more. "There is one thing I have to be amused about…" he stated, before gesturing behind Walter. "You didn't notice my _other_ attack" he stated. Walter barely had time to glance behind himself, before the hidden lacrima exploded, sending him assailing to the ground.

"Damn it…" he breathed, as he struck the higher stone steps hard, before moving to fall back down the whole flight.

"Walter!" Erza and Cyrus cried out in surprise. They too had not seen how, or when, the Nightmare of Joy had managed to place that lacrima.

Blake was the only one quick enough to respond to the attack, a cushion of wool-like fluff being sent out from one of his flasks. "Good thinking, Blake, The Suffocation potion makes an excellent cushioning substance. Avoid unnecessary injury to Walter at any cost" Cyrus praised his friend as his shock gave way to understanding. The silent Elixir mage nodded at the pair.

He signed something with one hand. "Protect our biggest asset" Cyrus read aloud. Erza smiled.

"And your friend" she added. Blake smirked slightly and nodded in agreement. "Now… is he okay?" she asked, looking to Walter, lying on the make-shift cushion.

Walter gave out a groan. "Fuck that hurt" he cursed aloud, groggily getting back up and giving the others a thumbs-up. "I'm okay" he responded, before sliding up and off the edge of Blake's potion-cushion, "Although I'm a little bruised I should be okay, I've fallen from greater heights before" he said with a tone that suggested falling from any height was something people did daily. Joy narrowed his eyes at Walter as the Requip mage returned to standing before the Nightmare, ready for another bout. "You're annoying me now, most people wouldn't survive an attack like the Phoenix" Walter said, meeting Joy's glare like-for-like.

Joy smiled. "Heh, I'm hardly a person" he retorted, "And unlike you I wouldn't have suffered _any_ injury from falling that height" he added. Walter shrugged.

"So what, a few scrapes and bruises are nothing compared to what I _am_ gonna do to you" Walter stated, "Starting with this!" he added, fists immolating instantly, before sending twin streams of flame at the Nightmare. Joy's laughter was audible above the roar of the flame.

"Hah" he breathed, flicking his arms out, sending his blades towards Walter, before jumping up and out of the way of Walter's flame attack. "You missed" he chimed from above. Walter saw the blades coming, however he was not ready to avoid the attack and it was coming in too quickly for him to avoid it. Taking the only course of action Walter had, he ceased his stream of flames, and instead opted for another tactic, clapping his hands together. "Flame Rampart" he called quickly. At his command crimson fire erupted before his person, the concussive force of the explosive release of flame sending the thrown blades off trajectory and clear of his person. Joy landed to Walter's right as the boy deflected his first attack, a wicked smile on his face as his blades returned to him thanks to their magical thread. Not stopping to speak again, the Nightmare rushed forward, his sabre finally drawn, it's piercing blade already aimed for Walter's chest. "Die!" The Nightmare giggled viciously as he bore down on Walter's position.

For most people the speed of the oncoming attacker would have been astonishing, however Walter was not a person to be attacked directly, and as Joy got in close, there was a flash of light around Walter's hand, quickly followed by the sound of steel on steel. "Requip" Walter's voice rang out. Holding back Joy's blade, a pair of claws had replaced Walter's red flame gloves.

Joy watched in mild surprise as in one hand, Walter locked down the Nightmare's sword blade between two of the three claws on his right hand, his left hand held up to Joy's neck with the other set of claws. "I got you now" he said. Joy smirked.

"Not really, unless you want to be gutted like a fish" Joy replied. At that inference, Walter glanced down to see the other blade a few inches away from his gut. Frowning, he sighed. "Shall we call this one a draw?" he offered. Joy smiled.

"I could always gut you now, let you cut my neck, then heal it right back up" the Nightmare said. Walter pouted at the notion, however he figured this might happen. "However… I think I'd rather keep my head, there is no definitive that I would survive the exchange either" Joy added after savoring Walter's moment of panic. With this agreement between the pair, Walter withdrew his claws, leaping back and using Swift to avoid any double-cross from Joy which would result in his injury.

"Damn it" he mumbled, returning to a position on the sixth step up the stairs. Joy stood five steps in front of him, Damien still sitting on the throne at the top.

"That was a close one, Walt" the Maker mage gloated from his position of safety above. Walter rolled his eyes.

"Shut it, Dame" he retorted, before eyeing Joy up suspiciously. "Come on Joy, you let me go, why don't you let me past?" Walter whined, giving the Nightmare his most puppy eyed look.

Joy laughed. "Not going to happen" he chimed.

Walter shrugged. "Figured it was worth a shot" he said, "Although…" he began, a slight smile on his face.

/

Joy pouted. "I'm not letting you pass me" the Nightmare reiterated.

"Damn it Joy, let me past" Walter barked, although this only made The Nightmare of Joy shake his head dismissively.

"Not going to happen, I'm afraid. Only my dead corpse would let you pass, and unfortunately for you I have no intention of dying yet" he said, giving Walter a smile as an invitation to try to attack him once more.

Walter groaned, before rushing in again, flaming fists aiming for the Nightmare, who just effortlessly sidestepped the clumsy attack. "Come on Walter, I would have thought you might be able to at least beat Joy" Damien smirked cockily from his seat, noting the slight act of desperation from the Requip mage. Although he knew how it was going to end, the Maker mage managed to squeeze at least some interest out of the spectacle.

Walter gritted his teeth, he knew that at this rate Damien would leave to cast his spell elsewhere, when the time came, and they would all still be stuck fighting Joy in this room when that happened. The Requip mage briefly considered using one of his Divine Garments simply to blast through his foe however he dismissed this thought as he was interrupted by a jab from Joy that he managed to avoid only at the last second. The knife in Joy's hand glistened grimly. "Focus Walter, or else my little toy here will cut you" Joy warned in an almost child-like tone.

Walter frowned at the childish tone in Joy's voice, however he was in no position to tell him to stop. "I… will beat you" Walter said after a few moments, his mind too preoccupied strategizing now to bother with cocky remarks. It had been a while since Lucy had contacted him, and whilst he had been distracted during his few bouts with Joy, he now began to worry that the others were dead.

"Oh, you will now, because nothing you have done so far, any of you has done so far, has so much as _scratched_ me yet" Joy chided Walter's short remark, noting the calculating gleam to the Requip mages eyes with warning, "It could take the sky falling down on my head for you to beat me…" he added, raising his arms up. Suddenly Walter and the others were taken by surprise as a great rumble sounded out along the throne room.

"What was that?" Damien queried aloud, "Your friends destroying more of my fortress?" he asked Walter. The Requip mage shook his head, a smirk forming on his face. "Joy, did another Nightmare fall?" Damien then asked. The smiling Nightmare brought a hand to his temple, sensing for the presence of the other Nightmares. At that moment, an explosion ripped through the side of the room, sending rock, brick and other debris flying all over, along with Walter, Joy and the other wizards.

Walter was the first up from the sudden surprise, quickly followed by Damien. The latter boy smiled at his friend, realising he'd lost his Nightmare barrier, before making a move towards a door beside throne. Walter, who in his calculating mindset only a moment before, correctly judged the distance and ran forward, already anticipating exactly what his ex-friend would do, he tackled Damien to the ground taking full advantage of the lack of reappearance from the Nightmare of Joy. "I'm not getting separated from you again" he said with a cocky smile as Damien chuckled, not even bothering to squirm beneath him.

"So, I take it you _were_ behind that?" Damien inquired. Walter shook his head, and pointed over his shoulder to the large gap in the wall. Looking over Damien could just make out the unconscious form of a muscular, half-dressed man with six arms. Then, as if to confirm his suspicions, a pink haired mage erupted from the rubble alongside another dark haired one. "Hah ha" Natsu the Fire Dragon Slayer cheered triumphantly, "I knew we could beat him if we hit him enough".

Gray smiled at his mate. "Yeah… you were right" he said back.

"How… far did you… go… Natsu…?" Lucy's voice called out, before the blonde appeared in the gap between the walls, panting madly. From the looks of it, Walter guessed she had just run across several rooms, all now with probably large, Anger-shaped gaps in their walls.

Walter smiled at the trio, "Good job guys, you really helped me out" he called out to them, before looking back down at his own enemy, still being gripped tightly in his hands "Now… I've just got to deal with you" he added. Damien smiled at Walter's words, which made the Requip mage frown. A second later Walter saw the glowing lacrima in Damien's hand, but was too late to stop it.

They both vanished in an eruption of purple light.

/

 **Somewhere in the Fortress…**

"FUCK!" Walter cursed aloud as he and Damien landed with loud thuds on the floor of a different room in the Nightmare Maker's fortress. "Shoulda expected you'd have a back-up plan besides 'run for it'…" Walter reprimanded himself as he stood up, eyeing Damien carefully. "Where did you send us?" he added as he rubbed his back, where he had landed only moments before.

Damien brushed himself off, standing a few meters opposite the Requip mage. "I sent us to another part of my fortress, obviously" he stated, before shooting Walter a smile. When Walter only sent a glare back at him, the Maker mage decided to answer his question properly. "We're about three floors down from your friends, in an antechamber I had built. Beyond this door behind me," Damien jabbed a thumb at the dark oak doors that stood behind him, "Is the place where I will activate the spell to create my final monster. You should be happy you got even _this_ far into my base" he grinned.

Walter's face withdrew as he gauged his surroundings. There was nothing very special about this room; it was plain, constructed of the same stone as the rest of the fortress, with only a line of columns and a slightly architecturally significant arch way in, opposite the large wooden doors, to form any kind of character. It was quiet too, which told Walter immediately that very few people would be nearby, for this place would be too important to Damien to allow the likes of the hired thugs he controlled to enter this place. "We're alone down here?" Walter asked after a few moments of silence from both boys.

Damien nodded. "Yes, although allies coming to back _me_ up is not your major concern right now" Damien said with his own wicked smirk.

Walter's withdrawn features immediately gave way to worry and confusion. "What did you do?" he asked flatly. Damien shrugged.

"Let's just say your friends are going to be getting a… _tearful_ reunion with a few more of their buddies real soon" he said with faint amusement in his tone.

Walter curled his hands into fists instantly, as he realised what Damien meant. "You sent _her_ to them, didn't you?" he accused. Damien laughed in response.

/

 **Back at the throne room**

Erza, Lucy, Cyrus, Blake, Natsu, and Gray all stood huddled together. The two mates and Lucy, along with Happy who joined them not long after, quickly recapped what had happened with the trio who had accompanied Walter. "Well done" Cyrus praised them, "Yet another interesting effect of the Dragon Slayer mating process I did not know about".

Erza smiled broadly. "I'm glad you are okay" she said. Blake nodded appreciably.

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle" Natsu said coolly in response to their praise, "However… it looks like you guys were having more of a problem than us" he added, gesturing with his head over to where Joy now stood, eyeing up Anger's defeated form.

"He was an idiot to take you on alone, however it looks like I will have to tidy up his messes" Joy called out, realising that the Fire mage was referring to him despite being some distance away. "Anger is powerful, but stupid, I will not be beaten so easily" he added, turning to face the group with his sabre already in his hands. Natsu sniffed the air.

"This guy smells powerful" he noted, looking to Gray.

Cyrus noticed the slight protectiveness in Natsu's eyes, probably at the same time as the Ice mage, and decided to take action before it became a problem. "With Walter gone it will be up to me and Blake to stop _him_. Natsu, you, Gray and Lucy leave this room now. Try to find the others and then search for Walter. That lacrima couldn't take them very far, I am sure they are still in the fortress" the Script mage dictated, leaving no room for debate. Natsu bristled at being told to flee, however his protective instincts screamed at him to take Gray and run.

Cyrus then looked to Erza. "You want me to take him on at close range?" the Requip mage suggested, already guessing at Cyrus' strategy. The brunette nodded.

"For the best chance of Natsu and the others escaping, we three must hold him off. Once they're gone we can-" Cyrus stopped his speech mid-sentence as Joy broke out in laughter.

"You think they are going to be able to escape?" he barked, earning glares from the Script mage.

"Why, you can't fight us three and stop their escape" Cyrus stated flatly. Joy shrugged.

"I don't need to, _she_ will be the one to stop their escape" Joy stated, gesturing to the arched entrance out of the room with the tip of his blade. At his direction, everyone looked to what he was referring. Initially there appeared to be nothing there, and Cyrus was going to snap back at Joy for distracting them, however he suddenly began to hear a very disturbing noise; the sound of someone sobbing.

"Oh dear… looks like we _won't_ be covering Natsu and Gray's escape" Cyrus agreed, earning an equally as fearful look from Blake as he was giving to the rest of the group. Erza looked confusedly to the brunette.

"Why won't we be covering their escape?" the red head asked, seeking answers she knew they had.

Cyrus' worried demeanor unsettled her slightly as he spoke. "Because it looks like a storm's coming. And Sorrow is at the center of it" he stated, before a beautiful woman entered, one with porcelain skin, and long flowing black hair that reached the floor with ease. Joy smiled at her brightly.

"Hello Joy" she said in between sobs, "Damien called for me".

Joy nodded. "Yes indeed, he did. These fine young gentlemen have just defeated Anger, and the master has taken one of their best fighters elsewhere. it looks like _we_ are going to have to deal with these pests ourselves, before going to find him" Joy instructed the woman. She nodded in understanding, before turning to the group of wizards and giving a small curtsy.

"If that's the case, then they must be strong to have defeated Anger. However… I have a couple of their _friends_ right here" she said, before her heir seemed to move on its own, wrapping around three bodies and dragging them into plain view.

"That's…" Gray began, before he was silenced by another muttered curse from Cyrus.

"Oh dear, it appears she's got Laxus, Gajeel and Wendy" the Script mage stated in a slightly panicked tone. "Things are just getting so much better" he added.

Joy laughed cruelly at his sarcastic statement of their situation. "Indeed" he agreed.

 **Part 2 End**

 **Next Part; Tears**


	44. Chapter 42 Part 3 - Tears

**Chapter 42 – Brother's Battle, Part 3; Tears**

 **Natsu POV  
** Joy gestured towards an empty archway, the tip of his sword glistening in the direction of… nothing? I tried scenting the air, however I could smell no sign of people, or of the strong scent of magic that seemed to emit off of Nightmares.

I looked with worry to Gray. The Ice mage was clearly tired out from the fight against Anger; not only had he fought the hulking Nightmare, but he had done it protecting _me_ because I was stupid enough to get knocked out. A faint flicker of anger rose in my stomach as I remembered that fact, however I pressed it down. Gray was as tense as me, which was to be expected given that we had just managed to defeat one Nightmare, only to run right into another Nightmare's fight. _This time I will protect Gray_ I said to myself silently, before my eyes caught a faint glance from Cyrus. The Script mage looked tense, much more tense than I would have expected, given that, from what I could tell, Walter had been doing far more in their showdown with the Nightmare of Joy, than the brunette had. _So why is he so afraid?_ I thought in confusion.

"Oh dear… looks like we _won't_ be covering Natsu and Gray's escape" Cyrus stated. Erza looked confusedly to the brunette.

Just as I was about to ask what he meant, my ears suddenly picked up on another sound, faint but audible. _Could that noise be what's worrying Cyrus? What is it?_ I thought, my confusion growing without many answers being given. Focusing more on the noise I quickly realised what it was; the sounds of someone crying.

"Why won't we be covering their escape?" the scary Sword mage asked the same question I was going to.

"Because it looks like a storm's coming. And Sorrow is at the center of it" Cyrus stated in reply to her, before a beautiful woman entered the throne room. I eyed up the new figure instantly, all my senses immediately targeting this person. _She's dangerous…_ my inner Dragon instincts screamed, _she's a Nightmare but… why couldn't I smell her? Was she covering her scent?_

Narrowing my eyes at the women, she began to speak. "Hello Joy" she said in between a couple of sobs, "Damien called for me". _Why is she crying like that?_ I thought suspiciously. The woman did not appear dangerous, at least not as dangerous as Joy or Anger were. Like every Nightmare I had seen previously, she wore quite fine clothing, with a fancy ball-gown type dress that reached the floor. Besides her clothing, nothing about her was particularly impressive; her skin was pale, but unblemished, and her frame was slight. Overall, she seemed more like a rag doll than a normal person.

Perturbed by this woman's ability to seemingly mask her scent, I began scenting the air more carefully, trying to catch any additional information I could about this foe. After a few attempts at gathering signs of the new Nightmare's scent, I caught the salty aroma of tears that seemed to undercut the strong scent of magic that emanated from Joy, who was standing beside her. Narrowing my eyes, I focused on this smell and traced her figure to find out what was causing it. At closer inspection, I saw that the source of this salty scent was the myriad tear stains that flowed down her dress. _The entire thing is DRENCHED in tears?!_ I thought in surprise.

Watching in equal parts confusion and suspicion I saw how the two Nightmare's interacted, before the woman turned to look at our group directly. "If that's the case, then they must be strong to have defeated Anger. However… I have a couple of their friends right here" she said in an almost whimpering tone, before her heir seemed to move on its own, wrapping around three bodies and dragging them into plain view. Seeing the semi-living hair brought back memories of the Raven Tail wizard we had helped in the Giant's Village. _She can control her hair too… gotta be careful of that_ I noted warily, before my eyes widened at the people she deposited on the floor between our group and herself. "That's…" Gray's voice rose up immediately, as both he and I analysed the bodies.

"Oh dear, it appears she's got Laxus, Gajeel and Wendy" Cyrus stated in a panicky tone.

"And Carla" Happy added angrily, floating around above us, gesturing to the bundle of white fur from his higher vantage point. Cyrus briefly glanced up, before nodding grimly.

"Things are getting so much better" he stated bitterly. The Nightmare of Joy laughed at the brunette, the sharp tone to his laughter making me narrow my eyes at him. _I really wanna hit him…_ I thought bluntly.

"Indeed" the Nightmare grinned, "You're escape plans have been foiled, and you are trapped between two of the most powerful beings in our fortress. What do you intend to do now?" he asked, raising his eyes at Cyrus, who seemed to have been made proxy-leader in Walter's absence. I gave my own response to the question silently; _I wanna beat the crap outta you two and then get Gray to a safe place_ I thought.

Cyrus gave a different reply to me. "The better question" the Script mage began, "Is, what are _you_ going to do? Your master fled, and Walter is with him. You have failed as his guardian" the brunette teen stated, giving a slight smirk.

Joy seemed taken aback by the statement, but only for a moment. "Hmph…" he breathed, "I guess I'll have to say that _I_ will be fighting you, before going to find my master. He may have taken your friend; however, I doubt that Walter will be able to defeat him" Joy replied. Cyrus nodded at the response, before glancing at Erza. The Requip mage nodded her head slightly, as the two seemed to be thinking the same thing. Seeing their exchange, I looked to Gray, grinning, the Ice mage accepting my smile and grinning right back at me.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Walter" Cyrus warned, trying to get Joy to react. The Nightmare shook his head.

"Walter's power, whilst great, still pales to the power of our master, Function. He _will_ destroy your friend, perhaps before I even get to destroying you" Joy stated. Cyrus blew air out between his teeth.

"I have faith in my friends, including these wizards you see before you" he barked in reply. Joy shrugged.

"Believe what you will… however no amount of friendship will save you" he said, before glancing to Sorrow, who looked almost bored with the whole conversation, "Perhaps we have done enough speaking now though, I wish to see the power of this so-called 'friendship' you claim to have" Joy stated bluntly, before a blade slid out of his sleeve, only to be grasped tightly in his hand. The Nightmare of Sorrow made no move to fight, however she did smile, albeit with tears running down her cheeks.

"And I would like to see the power of those mages who did such a terrible injustice to dear Anger" she said flatly. _That's my cue_ I thought.

"Alright, we'll give it to ya!" I barked, flames erupting around my hands. Cyrus smirked at me.

"I suppose we'll be fighting too then" the Script mage stated, "Erza, you me and Blake will take on Joy. I think we can leave Sorrow to Natsu, Gray and Lucy, right?" he directed this final question at me. I nodded.

"Yeah. Come on Gray, let's finish her like we did Anger" I stated, my arms tense, and my hands balled into fists. Gray nodded at me, standing beside me as we faced off against the female Nightmare.

"I'm always with you Natsu, we gotta pay 'em back for Gajeel, Wendy and Laxus too" he added. I nodded.

"Yeah" I agreed, before a sharp cackle broke out across the room.

"You boys are so… brave" Sorrow laughed, her eyes teary, but her stare piercing. "But… I think your friends said the same, and well… look how that worked out for them" she added, gesturing to Laxus, Gajeel, Carla and Wendy, who all lay on the floor before her, unconscious with pained looks on their faces. I glanced at them for a moment.

"You're gonna regret messing with my friends" I growled lowly. Cyrus seemed to analyze my battle-ready form carefully, before he smiled to himself.

"That goes for you too, Joy" he called out, building on my prior threat, "Now, _we_ strike back, and _we_ win" he added. Joy smiled as Erza stepped forward, Cyrus behind her and Blake behind him.

The Nightmare chuckled for a moment, before looking to his companion. "My dear, would you be so kind as to deal with that fireball and his mate over there, out of my way" he asked in a sickly-sweet tone. Sorrow nodded understandingly, before making a move towards the location Joy specified.

"Of course, Joy, just don't take too long with that redhead and her friends, we have our master to find" she reminded the other Nightmare. Joy nodded, before facing off against Erza, Cyrus and Blake. Lucy, Gray and I all stood a short distance away, the Nightmare of Sorrow in front of us, with our friends still tied and held by her hair on the ground near her position.

"Ready?" I asked Gray sharply. The Ice mage, nodded, standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside me.

"I'm always ready Natsu" he replied confidently. I nodded, glancing back to Lucy,

"What about you, Lucy?" I asked the Celestial mage. The blonde gave an assured smile, grasping her keys tightly.

"You know I'm ready to back you guys up" she stated. I smiled, before looking to the Nightmare of Sorrow, my eyes burning with a blaze as intense as the one that engulfed my fists.

"I'm gonna smash that pretty face of yours in if I find even _one_ scratch on any of my friends" I barked at the Nightmare. This seemed to make Sorrow laugh.

"Well… I guess you'll have to come and try, Dragon Slayer" she retorted, opening her arms slightly to invite me to attack. I smirked viciously.

"You're gonna regret that" I stated, before bounding forward, my flaming fists rushing towards the Nightmare. Gray and Lucy each prepared an attack to back me up, and the battle between us and the two Nightmares, Joy and Sorrow, finally began.

/

 **General POV**

Joy dodged Erza's swords easily, sending twin blades out from each of his sleeves to counterattack. The Sword mage smirked as she deflected the projectiles away using the swords in her hands. The Heavens Wheel armor shone proudly on her person, as she readied another salvo of blades to be sent at the Nightmare. "It's pointless to do that" Joy smiled at her, reading her movements carefully, his cruel and twisted mind trying to formulate a plan that could be used to kill her as quickly as possible, "If you send blades, I dodge them and counter attack, only to have you block that. We'll get _nowhere_ if you keep doing it, we'll just get stuck in a loop" the Nightmare explained. Erza scowled at him.

"You can't dodge forever" she barked, before sending three blades forth to slice at nothing but thin-air. Joy sighed, as he leapt up, avoiding the attack with ease.

"If that's all you're going to do, then this will be no fun either. Just die" he stated in a bored tone, before he threw two shining pins forth towards Erza's position at high speed.

Erza readied herself to block them, however a swirl of green mist alerted her to Cyrus' intervention. "Green Script; Jade Wind" the brunette muttered, as he focused on finishing another, significantly more complex spell than the one he had used to redirect the needles.

"Thank you, Cyrus" Erza stated to the Script mage, as Joy landed back on the ground once more. "However… he is right, at this rate we'll just get stuck here. Do you have any spells that could help us beat him?" she asked as Joy strolled over and recovered his pins from the ground. Cyrus didn't look up from his work as he replied.

"I'm working on it. If you could stall him, I will prepare this spell. It should give us the edge we need… then Blake can activate his own powers and we will be the victors" Cyrus stated, eyes flicking over innumerable runes inscribed in the air before him. They glowed a fantastic array of rainbow colours. Erza took in this information, before choosing her next course of action. So far she had yet to see Blake do anything except break Walter's fall earlier, although she believed he was probably doing something behind the scenes, as Cyrus was doing now.

"Very well, I'll give you time… Requip" she stated boldly, before a light overtook her form. In no more than a few seconds her Heaven's Wheel armor and swords was replaced by a much lighter and swifter outfit. "Flight Armor" she barked, as the leopard-like outfit and thin blade formed on her person. Joy eyed up the costume change with interest.

"I'm guessing with that you can move faster?" he mused openly. Erza smirked.

"Good eye" she stated, before charging forward, "Now with this I will be able to keep up with you at close range" she added. The Nightmare chuckled.

"Don't be so sure" he stated, before he dodged the blade that Erza sent crashing down on his position. Sending a jab of his own out with a knife, Joy was met with only thin air as Erza put some distance between herself and the Nightmare immediately.

"You'll have to try better than that" she called out the Nightmare's failed attack. Joy shrugged.

"I'm just getting _started_ with you" he replied, before leaping forward, blade brandished and ready to strike again. Erza smiled as she took the blow head on and matched blade-for-blade the oncoming assailant. "I could say the same to you" she stated, as she and Joy stood with their faces only inches away from each other, their arms locked in a battle of wills as their blades clashed against each other. Joy was the deadlier fighter, however Erza was trained under the harshest of conditions, both inside and outside the Tower of Heaven; she was not going to let up for anything. As their battle began, both sides quickly realised that this sword fight was not, in any way, going to be easy.

/

Natsu and Gray stared the Nightmare of Sorrow down. The sniveling woman wore a confident smirk despite the steady flow of tears that streaked her cheeks. After his initial charged failed, Natsu decided to hold back and try to stick it out with Gray, looking for an opportunity to attack. Every time he had tried to close the distance, the pinkette had been set back by a stream of raven hair that the female Nightmare seemed to control with ease. No matter what he did too, the hair could not be stopped. "Giving up?" Sorrow voiced aloud as she grew bored with her staring contest. Natsu growled angrily.

"No. I never give up" he barked flatly. Sorrow chuckled.

"Really, because right now you seem to be just standing there, do you want me to attack you?" she asked, her voice a beautiful but fragmented sound; it reminded Natsu of the other female Nightmare he had fought in Magnolia, the Nightmare of Fear. That memory sent a pulse of anger through his body. Sorrow seemed to register his discomfort. "Are you cold?" she queried in an amused tone. Natsu shook his head.

"I never get cold. I'm just getting bored" he stated. Gray glanced to the Dragon Slayer.

"Let's try it again, Natsu. This time I'll stop her hair" the Ice mage said, noting his mates discomfort at being made to wait before attacking, and already aware that if Natsu got _too_ angry he would just charge out recklessly again. "I'll cut it. Lucy, you get ready to help Natsu once he's in close" Gray added. Natsu's eyes glimmered with understanding, as Lucy nodded, readying her Leo key in the event it was needed.

"Alright. This time I will _definitely_ get her" he smirked, waiting for Gray's final signal before charging forward once again. The Nightmare of Sorrow watched the trio's interactions with a slight amusement, although no one would be able to tell from the permanently teary-eyed façade she wore. Noting Natsu's readied stance, she prepared for their attack.

"Finally attacking, are you?" she muttered to herself, as Natsu began closing the distance towards her.

"Yeah. This time I'm not gonna miss too!" he replied, as flames began engulfing his form. Sorrow laughed viciously.

"Another frontal assault?" she questioned uninterestedly, "That won't ever work. Go my hair" she commanded, before her raven locks began creeping forward, forming a carpet of blackness to entrap the charging wizard. Natsu smirked as he saw her use the same defense as last time.

"Now Gray!" he called out. Sorrow looked confusedly at the Ice mage some distance away, however before she could question what he intended to do, Gray unleashed the spell he had prepared.

"Ice Make; Guillotine" he barked. At his command a large blade of ice fell down from the air in front of Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer jumped up and over the block as it fell onto Sorrow's hair, slicing through the black carpet and rendering it useless. Sorrow stared in wide-eyed horror as her hair was cut cleanly through by Gray's attack.

"Now I've got'cha!" Natsu called out victoriously, charging forward and covering the last, short distance between himself and the Nightmare. "Fire Dragon Iron Fis-" Natsu prepared his attack, however as his flaming fists came within inches of the Nightmare he stopped dead in his tracks. Gray and Lucy looked in shock as the pinkette stopped his assault.

"Natsu, what's stopping you?" Lucy called out in surprise, readying her magic in case the Nightmare had some hidden trap stopping him from moving. Gray looked a little closer at his mate, worry filling his chest.

"Natsu? Natsu!" he crowed, trying to elicit some response from the Dragon Slayer.

Natsu heard his mates calling and shook his head, although not before Sorrow made her move. With her remaining hair, she grabbed ahold of the pinkette and tossed him back towards his friends like a bowling ball. Jumping right back up from the attack, Natsu looked confusedly to Gray and Lucy, before back to the Nightmare of Sorrow. Sorrow chuckled at the pinkette's confused face. "I think I've found your weakness, _Dragon Slayer_ " she mused. Gray furrowed his brows at Natsu.

"Why did you stop Natsu?" he asked sternly. Natsu gave a sheepish expression, before explaining his actions.

"She… turned into _you_ , popsicle" he stated, "When I got in close, I was ready to attack but then… it looked like I was about to strike you and I panicked. I can't ever strike you like that Gray, not like I mean to hurt you, my instincts won't let me" Natsu elaborated. Hearing Natsu's explanation, Gray turned to the Nightmare.

"What did you do to Natsu?" he barked, before a sudden realisation hit him. "Wait… you… you can't have that power, can you?" he asked. Sorrow giggled.

"What power?" Lucy asked. Gray did not reply, which led Natsu to give a worried expression now.

"Looks like you saw through my little strategy" Sorrow mused, before smirking, "Yes, I have _that_ power" she replied. This prompted another, slightly more angry response from Natsu.

"What power?!" the pinkette barked.

Gray turned to the Dragon Slayer. "Natsu… you definitely saw _me_ when you tried to attack her, didn't you?" he inquired. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah" he stated, "It was just like when I fought-" the penny suddenly dropped for Natsu too, "when I fought that woman in Magnolia" he finished. Gray nodded.

"Yeah. She can use illusions, Natsu" Gray clarified. Sorrow widened her smile hearing Gray finally reveal her abilities to his fellow wizards.

"Yup, I am the Nightmare of Sorrow, master Illusionist of all of the Nightmares. I am aware you have fought both Faith and Fear before, however those two do not even come close to _my_ power" Sorrow declared at the three mages.

Lucy looked to Natsu and Gray concerningly with this revelation. The blonde Celestial wizard had been told about what had happened, at least in part, by Natsu and Gray and their fights with the two illusionist Nightmares, and she knew how hard they found those fights emotionally. "Guys… you've fought illusions before, so you can win, right?" she voiced quietly. Natsu and Gray both heard her inquiry and looked to her with smiles on their faces.

"Of course we can Lucy" Natsu said confidently, before looking to Sorrow. "Illusions aren't anything to be afraid of, it's not like they can hurt us" he added.

Sorrow chuckled at the Dragon Slayers statement of bravery, before deciding to put the mage in his place. "Big talk Dragon Slayer, however need I remind you that you can't even come so much as close enough to scratch me, since you will _always_ stop dead in your tracks simply by a crude illusion of your dear mate over there" the Nightmare stated. Natsu narrowed his eyes at the Nightmare's implication.

"You took me by surprise the first time, this time I'll be ready for 'em and they won't stop me" he stated.

"Plus, we'll still be here to attack too" Gray added on. Sorrow looked to the two mages for a moment, before shrugging her soldiers.

"We'll see… if needs be I can always use my _other_ power" she stated.

Natsu crouched. "There isn't _any_ power strong enough to beat us, especially when I'm fighting with Gray!" he roared, leaping forward and getting ready to fight again.

Sorrow smirked, calling up her hair to begin blocking this next assault, whilst Gray cursed at his mate's stupidity and susceptibility to getting dragged into reckless, head-long charges.

/

 **Meanwhile, in the lower floors**

Walter paced the floor, his eyes shifting from staring around the room, to burning down fury at the smiling boy before him. "You sent Sorrow to them?" he questioned the leader of the Nightmares, not for the first time. Damien grinned.

"I actually requested her presence when you and your friends were busy with Joy, however she was… distracted, and took longer than I expected to come. Around now she should be meeting with Joy. Your friends _may_ have had a chance before, with just Joy, however now… they stand no chance" Damien boasted. Walter frowned.

"It took only Natsu and Gray a short while to make a meal of Anger, why shouldn't they be able to deal with Sorrow too?" the Requip mage questioned, eyes still glancing around the room, taking in all the data he could about his environment.

Damien noted Walter's analytical glare with faint amusement, before replying. "She will easily be able to deal with those two stupid boys if she does not play around like Anger, true, however even playing around a _little_ , her illusions should be able to stop them for sufficient time that Joy can deal with dear Cyrus and Blake, before he himself kills those two" he stated.

Walter took in this response before smirking. "You don't know then?" he said, earning a confused look from the other teen.

"Know what? To all appearances those two were nothing too special, although they both clearly used some form of Slayer Magic… and had a special bond… ah, they were mates you mean?" Damien ventured an answer. Walter shook his head.

"I'll admit they are mates, which makes them _far_ better a team than even Joy and Sorrow are, however that was not to what I was referring, Dame" Walter explained, "What I was actually referring to was their previous interaction with the Nightmares of Fear and Faith. Although I was the one to kill them, Natsu and Gray both defeated them in battle, they are not a threat to take lightly, since they are already used to facing illusionists" he elaborated. Damien took this new information in, before smiling.

"Is that all? Your big hope? Hah" he beamed amusedly, "Sorrow's illusions are by far superior to either of Fear or Faith's parlor tricks. Plus, with their mating bond, that gives them much more of a weakness than a strength against such an opponent" Damien stated, chuckling. Walter frowned and shook his head.

"They will fight to protect each other, and then…" Walter began, before he realised what Damien meant. "Oh… I suppose she could use that bond to their disadvantage, however once they realise her power I think they ought to be able to handle her" the Requip mage reiterated.

"Oh really, what will their bonds do when the banshee calls?" Damien retorted sharply, "I know the strength of bonds better than anyone else". Walter turned to face Damien head on at this inference.

"There is no way you would have given her allowance to use _that_ power, especially since you called her into your presence" Walter barked angrily. Damien shrugged.

"If I had that teleport crystal… could I not have… escaped it?" he suggested slowly. Walter frowned, before his eyes and nostrils flared in rage.

"Natsu and Gray _will_ defeat Sorrow, Damian, regardless of what you say, even before Sorrow could use _that_ power. Just like I will defeat you right now, before you can use that spell to bring an end to this world" the teen mage stated. Damien eyed up Walter, meeting the teen mages glare with a stare of defiance.

"Really, you will Walt, like that?" Damien stated, gesturing to Walter's red, flame patterned suit. Walter smirked.

"No! Now that I know what you intend, I'm gonna get serious. Requip" he replied harshly, before golden light warped his clothing into a much more dazzling suit. "You stand now, not before Walter the Requip mage, but rather Astraeus, Lord of the Stars" Walter bellowed, as he stepped out of the light with one of his most powerful suits, the Divine Garment Astraeus. The lacrima sewn into his golden waistcoat and deep blue shirt shone brightly as the teen cracked his knuckles, the deep blue metal that formed the suits gloves clinking slightly at the action. Damien raised an eyebrow at the power-radiating suit.

"You always did like those old myths and stories… never thought you'd _become_ them Walter" he commented. Walter bowed slightly, before golden light enveloped his fists.

"Thank you, Damien, however… how about you wield that sword you think I didn't notice you created behind your back and I show you this suits _true_ strength" Walter mused. Damien smirked.

"So, I _didn't_ get away with that little trick then" he stated, revealing the sharp, elegant blade that he had just formed in his right hand. Walter glanced at the blade before activating his own powers.

"You didn't… now… first I think I'll use Comet" Walter commanded, a soft golden glow forming around his legs. Damien smirked as Walter began whizzing around him, propelled on a stream of golden light. As Walter got in close, the two began to have flash-backs to their times training against each other. Despite the fondness of those memories, they each knew this was not like one of those old times; this time their battle would result in a death. One of them was going to die now.

/

 **Back at the throne room, however…**

Erza sent thrust after thrust of her blade towards Joy, the grinning Nightmare parrying, blocking and dodging each and every blow with elegant grace, before sending his own blade out to slash at the Requip mage. Erza sent one last slash towards Joy, before putting some distance between herself and her opponent. Sweat rolled down her forehead, never had she been so pushed to avoid attacks as in that short melee. "Hah… huh…" she panted, before glancing to Cyrus; the Script mage was down on his hands and knees, writing some complex looking magic circle into the ground. Suddenly a blade whizzed through the air towards his position, however it was easily deflected by a barrier of purple smoke that trailed from a potion bottle in Blake's hand. Not looking up Cyrus thanked his partner, whilst Erza returned her attention to the Nightmare. "You shouldn't leave yourself exposed like that Cyrus" she stated aloud, well aware by now that the Script mage couldn't afford to be anything but cautious whilst facing the Nightmare of Joy. Cyrus gritted his teeth, before looking up to the redhead.

"I am aware" he stated, before finishing what he was doing with a flourish of his magic pen. "I am also aware that you are tired, however… it is done" he smirked. Erza looked at him quizzically.

"You finished what you were preparing?" she asked for confirmation. The Script mage nodded.

"Indeed, now… if you would be so kind, could you please engage him again. I will need a moment casting this, and then… it will be over" Cyrus said with a flat-but-polite tone. The warrior woman nodded her head.

"If that is what it will take to defeat him" she said, before brandishing her blade again. Joy looked from person to person as he analysed his situation.

"So, that coward has finally finished his little scheme, has he?" the Nightmare questioned rhetorically. Erza just scowled.

"It shouldn't matter to you, _I'm_ the one you're fighting" she said, before starting to run towards the Nightmare. Joy sighed, his grin relaxing a little as it always did when he attempted to frown.

"Yes, so I am… although it would be so much easier to overpower you if those two little runts didn't keep interfering from outside of my range" he groaned. Erza did not respond, as she sent her sword slicing through the air, aiming for Joy's mid-section. The Nightmare swerved his body in time with the attack, putting a little distance between himself and the oncoming blade, before sliding his arm down, to counter the blow with one of his knives. Erza saw the subsequent trick coming a mile away, and conjured a sword into her other hand just before Joy's spare arm came arcing in with a second knife, aiming the blade for the Fairy Tailer's throat. The clash of blade upon blade sounded once more, however not one drop of blood was spilled in that lightning-fast exchange of blows. Staring into the depths of Joy's eyes, Erza saw no sympathy nor anger. "You will never be able to kill me with such simple tricks, Joy" she gloated slightly, as the two fought it out, their blades resting still within the air as a steady battle of wills ensued between the two.

"Oh really, because I have still not yet had to use my ability, Erza Scarlet, and yet you have had to use you're not once but _twice_ in order to even keep up with me" Joy parried. Erza gritted her teeth; the Nightmare's statement was true at least, and it cut her deeper than any of his attacks had so far.

"Maybe so… however… I have friends that may be able to force all that to change" she stated, before raising her voice, "Whatever you are doing, Cyrus, do it now!" she ordered. The brunette Script mage sighed audibly at her words.

"You don't command me Erza" he complained to her, before focusing back on his casting, "But yes… I am" he added with a somewhat submissive tone. At the comment, Joy flicked his gaze over to the Script mage, to see him standing within not just a complex circle of runes on the floor, but rather a complex cylinder of shifting rainbow runes that rose up to about double the Script mage's natural height. "But… how… that spell would take _days_ … no… _weeks_ to cast. How is he doing it so quickly?" Joy muttered in disbelief. Erza smiled, seeing the smirk drop from the Nightmare's face for the first time.

"Whilst I, and Walter, have been fighting you, Cyrus was preparing a spell" Erza stated, thinking back to when she was standing alongside Cyrus only minutes earlier as Walter faced down the very Nightmare she now pinned in place; he had already began writing a few runes in secret back then, the beginning of the spell that he now stood in the center of casting. Joy looked to the Script mage with confusion.

"He thought this far ahead?!" he barked, "He prepared a spell from _that_ long ago".

Cyrus' laugh broke Joy's stream of comments. "Yes Joy, I began writing this spell in secret whilst you dealt with Walter, and then I finished it during your battle with Erza there. Speaking of, Erza… you can let him go now. It's finished" Cyrus stated. Erza nodded, before leaping back, leaving Joy alone, as she returned to Blake's side. As she returned, Cyrus finally unleashed his spell.

"Rainbow Magic… Labyrinth of Runes" Cyrus commanded, his magic flowing forth as a wave of rainbow runes. Quickly washing over Joy, the Nightmare did not have time to complain, as he was swept away by the sheer concentration of magic power that now surrounded his person. Cyrus marveled at his work for a moment before looking to Erza. The Requip mage seemed astounded by the effect of his spell. "So is that… it" she asked, "Is he dead?"

Cyrus shook his head. "No, it will contain him, but not kill him" he stated.

Erza looked in disbelief to the young-appearing mage. "Why would you keep someone so strong alive?" she questioned.

Cyrus looked to Blake, as the silent Elixir mage took out a potion and offered it to Erza. "You should drink this, it will help restore your magic power and energy, we still have some fighting to do" he stated. Erza took the vial of substance; its contents appeared a light, almost luminous, blue.

"I will, however you have not answered my question" she replied.

Cyrus nodded. "I keep him alive for only one reason… her" he stated, gesturing towards where Gray, Natsu and Lucy were struggling against the Nightmare of Sorrow. Gray was throwing a barrage of Ice Make spells at the raven-haired woman, whilst his Dragon Slayer mate was busy busting through waves of black hair that struck at him like tendrils. Lucy was standing beside Sagittarius, the archer unleashing arrows when an opening presented itself, although not to much effect. "They appear to be fairing about as well as I expected" Cyrus muttered, before a dimming light signaled an end to his spells activation, "however… to get back to your question Erza, I keep Joy alive, simply for the reason that he will be more cooperative, and less _dangerous_ to keep alive than she would be for questioning later" he added.

Erza looked to Cyrus before handing the now empty vial back to Blake. Wiping her mouth of the strange drink, she spoke up. "You want to keep him alive to help us find Walter, correct?" she asked. Cyrus nodded, before taking ahold of his pen more tightly, as Joy was now back on his feet, looking confused, annoyed, and angry. "Yes indeed. Now…" he stopped talking as Joy's voice raised to cut him off.

"What the hell did you just cast on me?" he barked. Cyrus smiled.

"You are now standing in the Labrynth of Runes, and you may not leave until not just I, the caster, are dead, but Erza and Blake too. Oh… and not only has it significantly reduced your reaction speed, but this spell also reduces your overall strength, speed and stamina too. This means we _will_ be learning where the hell your master took my friend, preferably before we kill you" Cyrus replied, his eyes narrowing onto the Nightmare with a dark promise.

Joy's face broke out into a grin. "I see, you wish to capture me here for information then. That is fine, you won't be getting any, since I'm going to kill you all, and then find Walter and kill him myself for causing all of this" the Nightmare stated.

Cyrus sighed, "You're in no position to make threats, now to continue where you cut me off… Erza you take him on in close, I'll back you up. Blake, you know what to do" he stated. Erza nodded, before beginning to close the distance towards her target, Blake took up a position behind Cyrus, light glowing on his fingertip as he rose them to his throat. Finally, it was time for them to end their battle.

/

Whilst Cyrus was busy trapping Joy, Natsu and his team were not having as much luck against their opponent. "Damn it!" the fiery pinkette cursed, as he was left tangled up in tendrils of Sorrow's hair; even though it had been cut by Gray's guillotine, there still seemed to be no end to the raven locks. "Natsu" Gray cried out, "Hang on and I'll cut you free…". Natsu sighed.

"Not like I can do much else Gray" the Fire mage replied sarcastically, trying to rip the black tentacles from around his body, to no avail.

Gray smirked "Ice Make; Battle Axe" he called out, slicing through Sorrow's hair and freeing his mate for about the sixth time since the start of their stand-off with the Nightmare. Free once again, Natsu returned to Gray's side. "You sure you can't get her with your long-ranged things?" he asked as he stared the Nightmare down. Sorrow played with a few strands of hair on her forehead, as she giggled to herself; these opponents were not proving as difficult as she had expected so she saw no reason to get serious in this fight yet. The evidence of her strength, the unconscious forms of Laxus, Gajeel, Wendy and Carla, still lay at her feet.

Gray shook his head at Natsu's question. "I can't get to her, she either blocks my projectiles with her stupid hair, or she uses her illusions to make it _impossible_ for me to tell which one is the real one and then I end up missing when projectiles do make it through" he explained angrily, frustrated with his lack of progress against their opponent. Natsu placed his hand on his mate's shoulder.

"It's alright, I get it" he stated, trying to ease the temper from Gray's body with his words. Lucy smirked at the two from behind, before looking to Sagittarius, who stood to her right.

"How about you Sagittarius?" she asked. The horseman shook his head dejectedly.

"It's just like your friend said, Miss Lucy, she blocks all of my arrows with her hair. I can't get a hit on her either" he stated with an apologetic bow of his head. Lucy frowned, before smiling in thanks to her summoned spirit.

"It's okay, Sagittarius" she confirmed, looking back to Natsu and Gray. "So, what should we do now guys?" she asked.

Gray shrugged. "I don't know. With all her illusions, I can't figure out which one is real, so I _can't_ hit her… it's just like when I fought that stupid Nightmare, Faith" he stated. Natsu nodded.

"Same here. When me and Sting fought Fear, she kept us locked down and made us… watch her illusions too" the Fire Dragon Slayer added, balling his hands into fists slightly, before a touch from Gray made him uncurl them. Lucy heard their dejected tones, and came close to feeling like this battle really was impossible, if not for the idea that struck her seconds later.

"So… how did you beat those Nightmares then?" she asked, "I mean, if this is like those fights then… shouldn't you already know how to beat her?" Gray and Natsu gaped at her comment, before smirking wickedly.

"You're a genius Lucy!" Natsu beamed. Gray smiled.

"We're so stupid, how did we not think of this before" he added on. Lucy shrugged, with Sagittarius keeping an eye on the Nightmare of Sorrow, the trio used their combined experience and formed a plan.

Sorrow looked over to the group with suspicion, however before she could interject with anything, they returned to looking at her. With their confident smiles, Natsu, Gray and Lucy prepared their next attack.

/

 **Lucy POV**

I stood with Sagittarius, Gray and Natsu in front of me, with the Nightmare of Sorrow standing a short distance away, in the spot that she had yet to leave since the beginning of our fight. "Alright Natsu, you know what to do" Gray stated to the pinkette. Natsu grinned.

"Yeah" he smirked, before rushing forwards, "I know… I just gotta beat through this hair before she can catch me, right?" he chuckled. Sorrow laughed at the pink haired mage's words.

"Is that what you're so confident about? That's your big plan?" she cackled confidently, already she thought that our plan was doomed to fail. This made me smirk. _No, you witch, this is not our real plan_ I thought, _although we're lucky you're so predictable that you fell for our trick_ I added to myself confidently, before looking to Sagittarius and holding up his key. _If everything in our plan is going to work, I'm gonna need all the power I can get_ …

"Go on Sagittarius, you can return now" I stated quickly. The horseman bowed.

"Righty-o my lady, I will try to be of more use to you in the future" he said, before disappearing.

"Thank you, I know you will" I said kindly in reply, as Natsu closed in on Sorrow. _Now we just need to hope she falls for the rest of our trick, otherwise I don't know how we can beat her_.

Looking to Sorrow, I saw how she smirked viciously, sending out waves of hair towards the oncoming Dragon Slayer. _So far so good_ I thought hopefully, as he covered yet more ground towards our opponent. _Come on Natsu_ … _get her attention…_ I practically willed my teammate on, all my hope riding on this plan, since, after all, we didn't have much magic power to try another crazy tactic like this one.

"This won't work Dragon Slayer" Sorrow called out, as her first wave of black tendrils swept up towards Natsu. The pinkette continued grinning as he jumped up and out of their range, landing to the right of the tendrils. "Neither is your stupid hair-defense" Natsu retorted to the Nightmare as he evaded the attack. Sorrow smirked.

"Are you sure?" she said, before her hair rapidly changed direction, quickly catching up with Natsu and encircling his right leg. The Dragon Slayer cursed as the hair spiraled around more of his limb, quickly encircling his right arm and left leg until he was brought to a complete stop by its grasping force. "Hah, I've got you now" she smirked wickedly. I smirked in reply to this. I've gotta do it n _ow_ I thought, before taking a deep breath in.

"Go on, Virgo!" I called out loudly. Sorrow heard my shout, and quickly changed her attention to me and Gray, with confusion clear on her porcelain features.

"Virgo?" she questioned confusedly, before noting my smile. "Damn-" she began to curse, as the ground beneath her erupted, and my maid-dressed servant popped up.

"Now shall I attack the target, Princess?" she questioned politely. I nodded.

"Yeah Virgo, give her a good Virgo Kick!" I barked, imitating the motion I was requesting of my spirit. The Celestial Spirit bowed.

"As you wish Princess" she stated, before leaping out of her hole in the ground completely and striking Sorrow in the back with a powerful kick. As soon as her attack connected, Virgo dived back underground, popping back up next to me.

"Damn it!" the Nightmare screamed in pain, being forced to her knees by the attack. As she fell, Gray smiled brightly.

"Now it's my turn, Ice Make…" he began, before Sorrow's head snapped up, glaring at him.

"No, you don't!" she hissed, before her hair flowed around her, dragging Natsu from his position to her right to instead stand between her and Gray, "Strike me and your mate gets hit also" she said with a venomous tone. Gray muttered a curse.

"Damn it, Natsu…" he frowned, allowing his magic to dissipate. The Ice mage looked to me apologetically, "I'm sorry Lucy, I can't hit Natsu" he added. I nodded in understanding, knowing how strong their bond was, especially now they were mates, I should have anticipated this. _Damn it, even using the tactics of both of their fights with Fear and Faith, not to mention the same strategy I used on Anger, we still couldn't beat her_ I thought annoyedly. Natsu roared in anger.

"Gray, just do it, hit me and her. I've been hit by your attacks before" the Fire Dragon shouted unreasonably, trying to turn his head and face his mate. _Not gonna happen Natsu, you're such an idiot_ I thought, as Gray shook his head.

"Natsu, you _couldn't_ hit and illusion of me earlier, what makes you think I can hit the real you now?" the Ice mage snapped back sharply at his mate, a little annoyance in his tone. Natsu pouted and went quiet; Gray had a point after all. Glancing over to Cyrus and the others I realised we had no help coming soon. _We need to rescue Natsu and figure out another plan_ I thought quickly, _maybe if Loke was the distraction…_ _no, he'd get caught and be used as a shield too…_ my mind raced trying to think of a new strategy. Failing to come up with anything, a movement occurred within the carpet of black hair that caught my eye.

"I've never been kicked before. _Never… ever…_ " Sorrow stated in a dark tone, as she began to stand up, bringing both her unconscious captives, as well as her newly acquired captive, closer to her person. "I maybe should have paid a little more attention to your magic, perhaps… however… that still doesn't mean I can forgive you for assaulting my person" she added, eyeing me and Gray up.

Gray took a step forward as he watched Natsu struggle against the Nightmare's pull. "Let Natsu go" he demanded. _Damn it, at that distance, we'll never be able to hit her without getting Natsu and the others caught too_ I thought. Sorrow ignored Gray's sharp comment, and continued speaking.

"It was very clever of you to use your friend as a distraction… but foolish" she stated, "Because now I'm angry, and I'm not very nice when I'm angry. It might just make me… _scream_ … in frustration".

Natsu wriggled and grunted as hair completely enveloped his body, leaving only his head and face visible. "If you bring me any closer I'll make you scream all right" he threatened. Sorrow laughed, a hollow, dark laugh.

"Oh, dear boy, that you most definitely _do not_ want" she chuckled. Natsu scoffed.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I do" he said defiantly. Sorrow cocked her head.

"Oh really, will if that's the case then I will… scream" she said, "And when I do you will be cursed, just like all your friends around me, to sleep. Forever" I went wide eyed.

"What does she mean sleep forever?" I voiced aloud. Gray looked to me panickily.

"Let Natsu go" he reiterated quickly. Sorrow shook her head.

"No. I think I will give your mate what he wants. Time for you to witness my other power, time to hear the Banshee's Wail" she cackled, before opening her mouth wide. A second later a high-pitched scream, along with a sickly blue wave of energy emitted from Sorrow's person.

/

 **General POV**

The scream reverberated across the whole throne room; an ear-piercing noise that made everyone stop what they were doing. Cyrus was the first to say anything, as his eyes were drawn to the going's-on of their other team of allies. "No…" he breathed, witnessing the troubling scene for the first time. "She can't curse them…"

Lucy had her hands over her ears, huddling down in a ball. "What is this noise?" she shouted loudly to Gray, who paid her no heed; he was too fixated on Natsu, trapped close to the Nightmare. "Natsu!" he cried out angrily. Natsu continued wriggling furiously, all his senses and instincts screaming for him to escape, although he most definitely couldn't, as his whole body felt like it was being sapped of its energy. Soon Natsu's wriggling ceased, and his mind went blank, his body limp in the hair's grasp. Sorrow marveled at her handiwork, placing Natsu's now unconscious form with the others of his guild, stopping her scream as she did so. "It is done" she said, looking up to her other two opponents, one still huddled in a ball with her hands clamped over her ears, and the other staring blankly to his mate's limp body. "I spared you of my curse, although your friend… is not so lucky" Sorrow grinned. Hearing the Nightmare's words through the slight ringing in her ears, Lucy looked up, before standing up straight.

"Natsu…" she breathed as she took in the lifeless body of her friend. Sorrow savored the blonde's dejected look for a few moments, before looking to Gray. The Ice mage's face was as cold as his magic. Sorrow decided to break that icy façade.

"My curse is absolute, and your friend is now under its suffering. He will remain asleep and experience eternally all the moments of sadness in his life, an endless reminder of his pain, until death finally claims his form" Sorrow stated. Lucy gasped.

"Oh no… Natsu…" she said, before looking to Gray. The Ice mage had an icy mist rising from his shoulders and arms. "Gray…" Lucy looked to her friend, "Don't worry, we'll save Natsu" she tried to reassure him. Gray did not hear this, however, all he heard were Sorrow's words, proven true by the pained look on Natsu's face _._

With eyes blazing as hot as his mate's flames, Gray raised his arms above his head. "Natsu's gone…" he muttered to himself quietly, eye's going glassy, "She took him…" he added, as magic swirled around his hands like a blizzard. Lucy looked in fear at Gray's blank expression, before looked worriedly over to Erza and the others, hoping that they were done with Joy so that they would help her with not just Sorrow but Gray too.

"It's alright Gray… we'll-" Lucy began, before Gray glared at her, shutting her up instantly.

" _We'll_ do nothing, she took Natsu and now…" he flicked his rampageous stare over to Sorrow, who now looked on to this show with a mixture of amusement and fear. "SHE WILL PAY!" Gray roared loudly, almost as loud as Sorrow's scream, before a large, almost unbelievably large, spear of ice erupted from above Gray's head and struck Sorrow directly. "ICE MAKE; ULTIMATE GUNGIR" Gray bellowed, as his attack pierced the Nightmare's chest, spearing her to the ground, before continuing on, smashing through the ground and leaving a hole in the floor. Sorrow had no time to scream, or complain, or even to blink, as blood gushed forth from the wound.

Then the hole in the floor widened, before, suddenly, there was no floor, and Lucy, Gray, Erza, Cyrus, Blake, the unconscious trio of Dragon Slayers, not to mention Joy and Sorrow all were falling down and down through Damien's fortress, Gray's spear having destroyed the floor they had all been standing on.

Whilst they all tried to process what had happened, one noise became obvious to all them. Through all this, Gray continued roaring, in loss for his mate.

 **Chapter 42 End**

 **Next Chapter; Grim Reaper**


	45. Chapter 43 - Grim Reaper

**Chapter 43; Grim Reaper**

 **General POV**

Walter, donning his Star Lord suit, Astraeus, stood before Damien. Golden light enveloped his legs as he activated his Comet spell. "I will blast you apart Dame" he smiled as he began circling around the Maker mage at high speed, quickly speeding up to the point where the only thing visible of him was a blurred form and a trail of golden light.

Damien gripped his sword tightly in his right hand. The elegant blade glinted with silvery light, before a brighter light shadowed this, coming from Damian's entire body. "I doubt you will, Walt, not while I'm wearing this. You're not the only one with new tricks" Damien stated, "Yang Make; Armor of Lost Gods" he added, commanding the golden light into a new shape. Rapidly it solidified into a golden plated armor that perfectly fitted his muscular frame. As Damien reached up and locked the visor into place, Walter analysed the suits structure.

"That's the ancient armor of some past king that was held in the museum in Crocus. I take it you improved upon it with Yang though, probably to make it tougher and more magic-resilient?" Walter hazarded an analysis.

Damien laughed loudly, his voice distorted and echoic from inside the helmet of his armor. "You would be correct Walter" he chuckled. Walter smirked.

"When am I not?" he replied smugly. Damien tried to follow the Requip mage's form as he continued to whizz around him, however Walter was moving far too fast for even his well-trained eyes to follow. "Trying to work out where I am, Damien?" Walter then asked, "It won't work. Not even Hope could keep up with this spell, it moves near to the speed of light at highest speed, and so I am unaffected by temporal magic, along with any attempt to track or trace my position" he added. Damien huffed.

"And I thought I liked to show off" the blond-haired teen mage smirked, "However, if that is the case then I guess I'll just do this…" he extended his arms in front of his person, "Yin Make; Punishment Wall" he barked, before shadows extended forward. The shadows swirled and formed a solid wall, with deadly spikes in both directions. "That ought to stop you" Damien laughed.

Walter, who had just enough time after around three rotations of his opponent to realise what he was planning, prepared his own counter-measure. "Fuck, going at this speed I will not just be skewered, but I'll also be crushed if I crash into that when its finished" Walter cursed lowly, before concentrating magic to his fist. "Looks like I'll have to do something drastic" he added, as the concentrated magic flowed into his fist. "Star Burst" he bellowed, throwing a ball of yellow light and bright silvery flames towards the oncoming barricade.

"Light magic?!" Damian barked in surprise, as Walter's attack reached its mark, before exploding into a larger sphere of golden and silver fire. "No… Heavenly Body Magic infused Fire magic" Damien corrected himself. Walter laughed at his enemy's surprise.

"Yup, this suit isn't just flashy, it's got all the power to boast being called a Divine Garment too" he smirked, slowing himself slightly in order to avoid another trap like that one again. Damien grinned.

"I can see that; however, you are not the only one to have been dabbling in myths and folklore, Walter" Damien stated. Walter slowed to a stop, some distance from Damien, but around the same place as he had begun the flight at. Hovering above the ground, propelled by the same golden glow around his legs, Walter crossed his arms, smirking broadly. "Try me then" he stated.

Damien shook his head dismissively. "If you ask for it, I guess I could show you this… Yang Make; Caladbolg, the legendary Rainbow Cleaver" he stated, forming bright light in both hands as he dismissed his first blade in favor of a new weapon. The new white light that emitted from both of Damien's arms quickly changed to a rainbow glow, before shifting and solidifying into a terrifying, somewhat overly large broadsword that he held in both hands. Quite impressively, as Walter would expect of his ex-ally, the blade showed both grandeur and practicality, with a golden hilt and a steel blade that was easily as sharp as any regular sword. Along the fuller of the blade there was held a stream of rainbow lacrima crystals that each shone with their own internal light. Walter whistled in acceptance of the weapons fancy appearance.

"That is an impressive blade, mind if I try it out?" he asked. Damien chuckled.

"Oh yeah, just come over here for a minute" he replied sarcastically. Walter smirked brightly.

"On second thoughts, I might like to keep my head… how about I just try _this_ weapon instead" he stated, before faint light flashed in his own hand that left him wielding the sword that matched his Astraeus suit; a short sword made of the same deep blue metal as his gloves, but with a golden stream along the fuller, its handle covered with star designs. "This should work too, Star Stream" Walter added, focusing his magic not to his hand as he would usually do, but rather to the blade itself. A few seconds after releasing the spell the golden stream in the fuller began to glow, and the blade of the sword rapidly erupted into silvery flames. Brandishing his now ignited sword boldly, Walter pointed the tip of the blade at Damien.

"Before we begin just remember this; you could never beat me in either sword-play or hand-to-hand training" Walter noted. The Maker mage shrugged.

"Then I guess I'll just beat you with better equipment" he replied. Walter laughed, before beginning to cover the distance between himself and Damien. He let out one last laugh, as their blades connected, Walter's flaming sword being easily held at bay by Damien's Caladbolg.

"Well I wouldn't know about whose _equipment_ is better" the Requip mage giggled, "For all the times I let you see _me_ naked, I never got to even peak at your… sword" he added. Damien smirked behind his visor.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to leave you guessing, because with this blade I'm gonna beat you now, Walter" he said. Walter shrugged, before leaping back, propelled by his Comet.

"We'll see. For now, I might stick to this, Star Stream" Walter gestured with his free hand, a stream of golden light erupting from his gloved palm. Damien barely had any time to relay what was happening, before the attack struck his armor. "Thanks for the peek at the armor whilst I was up close. Think I've got enough info to pick up on a few weak points" Walter added as Damien was forced back by the stream of golden light, and subsequent silver fire that formed as the beam connected with his golden armor.

"Then I guess I've got no choice" Damien retorted back, having to raise his voice above the roar of the pale flames that engulfed his form. Raising his sword up with one hand, a seemingly impossible feat to Walter given the blades size, Damien called on his magic. "Caladbolg, time to consume and… CLEAVE!" Damien called out, slicing an arc out through the air, cutting through Walter's spell also. Walter followed the trail of the attack, and cut off his spell as he was forced to jump up by the wave of rainbow light that followed Damien's arching motions. "Fuck" Walter called out, as he slowly descended again from his jump above Caladbolg's rainbow slice.

Damien looked up as he heaved the sword back up into a two-handed position, the tip of the blade pointing up above Walter's head. "How do you like that, the _power_ of my _blade_?" Damien asked Walter.

The Requip mage shrugged. "It was pretty spectacular, although the way you handled that attack tells me you've got a lot more to learn about sword-play" Walter commented, running a metallic-gloved hand through his hair, setting the blond tips back messily. "For instance, how would you react if you were say faced with… an attack like this?" Walter questioned, calling up a sphere of pure silver and red flames into his free hand. Damien eyed the suspicious orb instantly, before it split into three small spheres that rotated around one another. "Red Dwarfs; Rain of Crimson" Walter commanded, before throwing the three spheres up above his head. "You see, this attack will allow me to strike you multiple times from a long distance, and with the weight of that sword you will be too slow to dodge or block" Walter elaborated, "See" he pointed for the three orbs to target Damien. At his unspoken command, they each flew forth, screaming towards Damien's position from different angles; one went left, to Damien's free side, one went right, to where Damien held his blade, and then the last arced downwards to strike from above. Walter smiled at his handiwork, as Damien's head snapped around to the three oncoming projectiles. _No matter which one he chooses to take out, each of those attacks should do considerable damage to that armor_ Walter thought, before he frowned; instead of moving to block any of the attacks as Walter had expected, Damien drew in his sword, and held the flat of the blade against his chest. "Caladbolg, Rainbow Blockade" he commanded quickly, a shimmering curtain of light forming in front of his person. Walter gawked as each of his Red Dwarf stars struck the barrier, before shrinking down and popping harmlessly out of existence.

"But… how?" Walter snapped confusedly, his mind trying to process what had just happened. Damien took the moment of confusion as an opportunity to change stances, moving to hold his broadsword in a Complete Iron Gate stance. "I just commanded Caladbolg to construct its barricade. With that any magic or object will be cleaved in two should it try to cross, and so your stars were halved in size, then halved again and again as they continued to try to cross, so quick that they simply ceased to be" Damien explained. Walter nodded in understanding, before cursing internally at the folly of wasting his already dwindling magic power on that attack.

"Hmph…" he huffed aloud, "Guess you've learnt _some_ useful things whilst you've been trying to destroy the world then" Walter commented.

Damien shrugged again. "I try, however… I think I'm gonna have to try to kill you now Walter" he said, before slashing the sword in a circling motion twice through the air. Walter recognized the attack instantly, and jumped up only at the last second as two arcs of rainbow light sliced through the room at high speed.

"That woulda decapitated me _and_ cut me in half at the same time!" he barked in surprise. Damien looked up as Walter hovered above, still with his Comet spell active.

"Now it's time to end this, since my senses tell me your friends seem to have weakened Joy and Sorrow" Damien stated, before moving to swing his sword once more. "Goodbye Walter" he added. Walter quickly realised that Damien intended to use that cleaving attack once more whilst he was haplessly floating downwards in the air. "Fuck!" Walter cursed loudly.

Suddenly an almighty crash sounded from above the Requip mage, quickly followed by a terrible shaking that knocked Damien on his ass. "Thank god!" Walter cried out thankfully, as he was able to land in one piece. Damien glared up at Walter from the floor, flicking his visor up to stare at the Requip mage unguarded.

"Did your friends destroy _more_ of my base?!" he inquired angrily. Walter shrugged, giving Damien a cocky smile.

"If they did I'm not complaining" he grinned, before suddenly he noticed that the shaking did not appear to be coming from the ground itself, but rather the ceiling. "Ah wait… maybe… maybe I _am_ complaining. Fuck it…" Walter said hurriedly, before moving to get to an exit. Damien wanted to ask what the teen mage meant, however a large chunk of rock that erupted from above gave him his answer.

"Damn it," he cursed, "not enough time to get up in this armor. Guess I'll just have to hope I survive" Damien reasoned. "Yang Make; Triple Thick Casing" he said a moment later, whilst Walter began forming a fiery pillar to destroy any rubble before it could hit him, already aware that even he could not outrun the collapsing ceiling in time.

/

 **Lucy POV**

Gray's angered-yet-sorrowful call resounded across the throne room, an almighty crash sounding not long after as his ultimate icy spear impaled the Nightmare of Sorrow to the floor. Not ceasing his attack, Gray sent the overly large weapon crashing through the floor, before sending the whole floor, and all of us on it, crashing down with him.

"Aw come on…" I cursed slightly as I felt the sensation of falling. Despite my annoyance at the destruction, and the potential death it could cause, I could not feel angry at Gray; not after witnessing what had just happened to Natsu.

"Princess, I'll catch you" I heard a voice say from somewhere within the shower of rubble, before the image of Virgo came into my field of view. The Celestial Spirit had just been by my side as the crash occurred, and after a few hasty moves, bounding from rock-to-rock mid-air, she caught me and held me firm as we fell together. Even tossing through the air I said nothing, not until I landed on the ground, safe in Virgo's arms, a moment later.

Placing me back on solid ground I glanced around. "Thanks Virgo" I said, bowing to the pink-haired maid-spirit. Virgo smiled.

"I'll always be there if you need me, Princess" she replied, before disappearing into the air. Left alone, I began scanning over the room I was now in. Rubble lay in all directions, mounds of stone that had once been part of the throne room. "Is anybody there?" I called out, hoping that Cyrus and the others had survived the fall. A sound echoed out at me from above.

"Up here Lucy" Cyrus' voice came from the air. Looking up I saw the brunette standing alongside Erza, and Blake, all suspended on a platform of blue-black ooze, supported by green runes.

Quickly they made their descent, before hopping off the platform beside me. Erza was the first off, followed by Cyrus, and finally Blake, who quickly commanded the ooze back into a vial at his waist. "Sorry about that, we didn't have time to catch you" Cyrus apologised. I nodded, before looking further around.

"Did you see Gray or Natsu from up there?" I asked the trio. Erza shook her head.

"No. I tried… what happened?" the Requip mage asked me quickly. I pouted, unsure of the details myself.

"It's kinda complicated… basically we tried to break through Sorrow's defenses by using Natsu as a decoy. But then… stuff went wrong, she cursed him or something and then he… I'm not sure, but I think he might be dead. Then Gray…" I stopped my explanation as I felt tears sting my eyes. Erza quickly embraced me in a not-at-all comforting, spine crushing hug.

"It's alright" she soothed quickly. I nodded and wiped my eyes, looking to Cyrus and Blake. The Script mage's eyes were glowing rainbow as he looked around.

"It looks like we fell two… maybe three floors. I can sense three lives nearby. I think… yes, there's Gray" Cyrus pointed to a mound of rubble. Quickly moving off towards the pile, Erza, Blake and I grabbed a large rock and heaved it up off of the place where Gray supposedly was located. Peering inside I saw that Gray was indeed underneath the rock, alive and seemingly uninjured. Barely looking up the Ice mage seemed fixated by the body he cradled in his arms; Natsu's body. "Gray…" I breathed, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Erza stopped me, shaking her head.

"He needs a minute Lucy, plus… we need to make sure _she's_ dead" the red head said to me, before gesturing to another body a short distance away, half covered by rocks and debris.

"That's Sorrow" I said flatly. Erza nodded, as she approached the apparently dead Nightmare with caution, a Requipped blade pointed at the Nightmare's visible body at all times.

Standing over the woman's form, Erza seemed to inspect her for a minute, before giving me a nod. _She's dead then_ I thought with a little satisfaction. Creeping closer I saw the large spear wound along the whole of her left side, around which was a giant red tinge that had spread across the tear-stained dress she wore. Reminded of the attack that had caused such damage, I looked back to the stoic, stony-faced Ice mage and his unconscious mate. _He's not gonna recover from this… and he'll blame himself, even though it was my stupid plan_ I thought, before some movement in some other rocks caught my eye. Looking over to the area I saw Joy standing with a limp leg; clearly, he had used his agility to avoid a particularly fatal fall, although he did appear to have sustained _some_ injuries. Cyrus and Blake were currently nowhere to be seen. _Where did they go?_

Glancing around again I could see no sign of the pair, nor any sign that they had found others. "Lucy, come over here!" Erza's voice sounded out. Whipping my head around, I saw the redhead gesturing for me from a nearby cluster of rocks. Running over I tried to see what she needed.

"What is it Erza?" I asked as I approached. Erza pointed to a few stones.

"Help me move these. It looks like Gajeel and the others are under them, although they are okay" she stated flatly. I nodded.

"Okay, just leave it to me" I said, before drawing a golden key from my belt. "Come on out Taurus" I commanded.

At my command the Bull spirit appeared. "What-cha need, Miss Looocy?" he asked politely, before witnessing the destruction around him. "Woah, what happened here?" he added. I pointed to the rubble.

"It doesn't matter, just lift that rubble and get my friends out" I barked. Taurus huffed, but began removing the rubble anyways.

"When will yoooo give me a smoooooch Miss Looocy?" he asked rhetorically, as I already had moved on to another area, following a new trail. In the casting of my summoning spell, I felt the flicker of magic power that suggested other mages were nearby, and decided to see if there were others also trapped within the fallen debris. As I followed the trail of power, I became increasingly cautious, in case there was someone not so friendly down here with us.

After a short circuit of the area my nose picked up on a scent that had me reeling. "That smells like… burning rock?" I said aloud, before dashing in the direction I thought the scent came from. Unfortunately for me, it took a few attempts before I found the source of the smell; I wasn't Natsu after all. "Walter?!" I shouted in surprise, as I saw the teenage mage standing within a perfectly clear area, although the stones around his person were somewhat melted, which suggested he had to escape the rock fall just like the rest of us. "Yo, Lucy!" he smiled in surprise. Rushing up to meet me, I quickly realised the strong sensation of magic power that emanated off of his person, and I was a moment in realising its source.

"That's… your Astraeus suit, right?" I asked him, memories flashing back to the fight on the beach against Hope, and the apparent power this suit displayed that night.

Walter nodded. "Yup" he said.

"Does that mean… Damien's down here?" I added as he began walking back with me to the others. Walter nodded.

"I haven't seen him since the collapse, but yeah. I was kinda in the middle of our fight when you guys, I'm assuming it was you guys, made the ceiling cave in" he explained, "How is everyone?".

I stopped in my tracks as he asked me that question. After two more steps Walter realised I had stopped and turned around. Noting my averted gaze, I could feel him narrow his gaze on me. "Um…" I stuttered. _I should tell him… if anyone can save Natsu and the others it would be Walter…_

"What happened Lucy?" the Requip mage asked me again.

/

 **General POV**

Joy stood overlooking the scene before him. The Ice mage and the Dragon Slayer were sat embracing; judging from the waning magic power, Joy assumed that the pinkette had been struck by Sorrow's curse. "Hmmm…" he muttered quietly. Neither of the mages seemed to react to his presence, and as he approached slightly closer he noticed that the Requip mage and the Celestial Spirit mage were also nearby. Meeting the eye of the blonde, Joy stopped, waiting to see if she would react. "I can't afford to be doing anything rash… Master Function should be around here somewhere. I just need to get to him…" Joy muttered to himself. After a minute or so, Lucy dashed off and Joy had his chance to locate his lost master. Turning on his good leg, Joy traipsed around the mound of rock in which the two mated mages were sitting, reaching out with all his senses to find his master.

As he reached another pile of stone, Joy smiled; somewhat hidden by rock and stone a black dome of unknown metal glistened, signaling the presence of Damien, alive and well. "That's good at least…" Joy smiled to himself, as he approached his master's protective layer. Before he could even make it half way, the Nightmare suddenly felt something strong and sticky attach to the back of his neck.

Attempting to turn, Joy felt a pressure on his back, swiftly followed by a few hushed words in a familiar voice. "Move and I will blast a hole in your back" Cyrus said darkly. Joy stopped his movement as he felt the flattened palm of the Script mage against his back; this was no bluff. Trying to gauge the position of his opponent, Joy failed to notice that the sticky substance had moved from the back of his neck, and he did not realise until too late that it had completely covered his mouth. Looking down, Joy realised what the substance was, and began grasping at it, however it was no use. Seeing Joy's flailing movements, Blake and Cyrus ceased their back-attack, and rounded around the Nightmare to stand between him and his master. "It's all over for you now, Joy" Cyrus stated, "Blake, you may remove the potion, I've cast the paralysis spell" he added a moment later. Blake nodded and with a gesture the Suffocation potion returned to its phial.

"Whatever you say, Cyrus, but… are you sure it will hold him?" Blake asked in a sing-song voice. Joy seemed surprised that the Triplet Code member was speaking, however he soon remembered that Blake had previously activated his Harmony Voice magic, and so could speak for a time at least. Cyrus nodded to Blake.

"I have not been idle in my research or preparations, that spell was _designed_ to hold Joy down, at least long enough to kill him" Cyrus explained, more for Joy's benefit than Blake's. Joy narrowed his eyes.

"I see…" he muttered, "However… you will not stop me from aiding my master" he added, before a deep breath in signaled his preparedness to call out. Cyrus was quick to react to the signal, and fully activated his spell, which sent Joy to the ground instantly, all energy gone from his muscles. "You will not call out" Cyrus stated flatly, before looking to Blake, "We now have three minutes before the spell wears off. I am going to find Walter, you _must_ do it, Blake" Cyrus said. Blake took in his orders, before bowing his head.

"I… will" he replied, a minute note of hesitation that belied something dark behind his dark eyes. With that response, the Script mage wandered off in search of his leader and friend. Left alone the two enemies stared each other down. "Sorrow is dead" Blake stated in the most monotonic voice he could manage. Joy closed his eyes for a moment; a sign of understanding. "You are aware then" Blake stated, "Good. Then you also understand that we have now killed two of the Nightmare Generals. The other Nightmares are fighting or preoccupied, or dead… there is only your master left." Again, Joy closed his eyes for a moment, however when he opened them he had a slightly more worried look, his usual smiles, including the one in the depths of his eyes, were gone. "That only leaves you as Damien's final defense, however… we cannot afford to give Damien that advantage. I will do what must be done" Blake said, before his hand reached into his own, deep-red suit jacket. "I _should_ kill you, however I refuse to do that. You have caused too much suffering… too much pain. Instead I will do that which will cause _you_ the most suffering, perhaps then you may understand the true horrors you have committed. Your power may be great; however, it has one fatal flaw, it will not work on _you_. Since it relies on memories of the last time you were happy, it will not work because you are _Joy_ , and therefore, you have always felt happy" Blake added, drawing out a phial of a deep red potion. "This is the Pressure potion, it causes immense pressure, enough to break bones" Blake explained before taking the bottle stopper off. Channeling his magic power into the viscous liquid, Blake urged it forth, out of the container. Dripping down to the floor, the Dark Elixir mage urged the potion onwards, making it snake up and around Joy's legs, before creating another two trails to snake around each of the Nightmare's arms. Joy quickly realised what Blake intended, however he could do nothing but helplessly watch, thanks to Cyrus' paralysis spell he couldn't even verbally protest. "I will now activate the potion. Goodbye Joy" Blake stated, "May your suffering be great" he added with a faint smirk. At that last word, Blake's potion puffed up, like a giant cloud, completely enveloping Joy's limbs. As the fluffy cloud grew, an intense pressure was felt on each of Joy's arms and legs, enough to make anyone scream out, anyone but him. Instead Joy just gritted his teeth, refusing to give Blake any satisfaction out of this. After only a minute, however, the potion reached the height of its force, and a moment later the deadly crunch-squelch of muscles and bones being completely crushed sounded out. Hearing this Blake withdrew his potion, returning it once more to its container, before finally drawing out one more potion. "Now you may never help your master, however… you could still call out. This potion will constrict your voice box, at best you may be able to give a slight whine" Blake smiled wickedly, before removing the new Dark Elixir's stopper, and pouring the sweet-smelling, blue-green liquid into Joy's mouth. Maimed and silenced, Joy was nothing more than a husk of what he had been minutes earlier. With this final act, Blake left Joy to his fate, giving him only one last pitiable look, and one last string of words. "You may survive about an hour, since you _are_ a Nightmare. Yet all the same you will die like a dog eventually" Blake stated, his voice dark and menacing, but with a little strain as he returned to being mute once more.

/

After Lucy's hastily given explanation, Walter returned with the Celestial mage to the group, although the signs were not good. Cyrus and Blake had lined Natsu, Laxus, Gajeel and Wendy up, all three of the other Dragon Slayers cursed by Sorrow's spell as Natsu had been. "Damn it!" Walter growled; he had not expected such a toll to be taken on the friends he had made. Cyrus and Blake stood silent vigil over the area where Damien was still residing, as the Maker mage had yet to leave his dome. "Natsu's gone…" Gray muttered to himself, sitting down next to Natsu on the end of the row. Save for a few silent mutterings, not much had been said by the Ice mage, and he seemed to have gone catatonic. Walter looked to Gray for a moment, his features slack and full of pity. In order to conserve power Walter had Requipped out of the Divine Garment he was wearing, and now stood in a plain grey suit. "Gray…" he mumbled, "I'm… sorry".

Gray looked up at Walter for a brief moment, before glancing back down to his mate's face, still twisted in pain from the effects of the curse. "It doesn't matter if you're sorry… Natsu's still gone" Gray said in a voice devoid of emotion, yet brimming with sorrow and loss. Walter nodded in acceptance of this response.

"Maybe that is true… Sorrow's curse is powerful and cannot be undone once unleashed, not even by the caster herself" the teen mage stated carefully. Cyrus and Blake had already given Gray, Erza and Lucy a run-down of the effects of the curse, however they had neglected to mention that fact. Gray began crying. "Natsu…" he sobbed quietly. Cyrus and Blake returned to the group momentarily, whilst Walter was busy trying to analyze the bodies of the Dragon Slayers, and Lucy and Erza stood over Gray, attempting desperately to console him.

"Walter… Damien's-" Cyrus began to say.

"Right here" another voice finished. Walter glared up at the source of the voice. Damien, still clad in the golden armor of his previous battle, save the helmet which he had discarded, smirked cockily. "I see you have defeated my generals, although the king still stands" Damien stated. Walter frowned harshly at the other teen.

"True, but not for much longer" he replied. Damien chuckled.

"Oh… and what a number Sorrow appears to have done on your friends, such a shame" Damien added, which earned glares from _all_ the wizards present now. Shrugging these off, Damien continued. "Oooh, and you've gone and changed out of that dazzling little number too, Walter. What ever will you do now? Your most powerful suit failed you, and now you have failed your friends too. Sorrow's curse is absolute, you know" Damien taunted. Walter curled his hands into fists.

"I will blast you to pieces for all this Damien" he growled lowly. Damien raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" he asked, "Come on then" Walter hesitated. Damien smiled brighter, "What's the matter, all bluster and no balls?" he chided.

"Tch…" Walter tutted, before glancing to Cyrus. "Actually… I was wondering what was a better use of my time, removing Sorrow's curse, or beating you to a pulp" Walter replied. Now it was Damien's turn to tut, before the Maker mage gave a deep laugh.

"Hah ha ha ha… stupid Walter, you _can't_ undo Sorrow's curse, surely you learned that after your other friend was hit by it" Damien chuckled loudly. Walter shook his head.

"That Magic Council officer was a good man. I killed him to stop his suffering, however… after that it gave me an idea. It's taken me fourteen years to collect the materials and have this suit made, however I finally have the necessary power to _both_ defeat you _and_ save people from Sorrow" Walter declared. Damien narrowed his eyes.

"Really?" he asked again, this time much more menacingly.

Walter smirked. "Yes, now Requip!" Walter barked, using his magic as quickly as he could.

"Not happening!" Damien barked back, charging his magic almost as rapidly as the Requip mage could. "Yin Make; Power Blade" he commanded, calling forth a powerful looking blade, and aiming it for Walter's changing form. "Die!" he shouted, throwing the weapon flawlessly towards Walter's position.

"No!" Cyrus countered, readying a spell to deflect the blade.

"It's too late" Damien retorted, as his thrown weapon was moving too fast to be countered. As the weapon drew near, Damien grinned. "I wi-" he was about to cheer, before another blade sent the first one off course, barely grazing Walter instead of skewering him. Following the trajectory back to the cause of the deflection, Damien found himself narrowing his eyes on a raven-haired wizard.

"Walter, if you're serious about saving Natsu, do it. Now!" Gray demanded, the Ice mage taking a defiant stance against the enemy Maker mage. Walter appeared out of his Requip in an entirely new outfit, one that even Cyrus and Blake had yet to see.

"Thanks to your timely intervention, Gray, I will" the dark-haired boy replied, "For the power that stands before you now, is not just I, Walter, but also the power of he who ultimately rules over life and death; Thanatos, the Lord of Demise" Walter added with a smirk, bowing lowly.

 **Chapter 43 End**

 **Next Chapter; Ultimate Power**


	46. Chapter 44 - Ultimate Power

**Chapter 44; Ultimate Power**

 **Sting POV**

I sent a fist rushing into the nearest enemy, light exploding as my knuckles made contact with the mercenary's face. "Agh…" he cried out, before being sent crashing into more of his friends.

"Hah, is that all ya got?!" I barked at them, before smirking at Rogue. The Shadow Dragon Slayer was standing with his back to me, our enemies had us surrounded somewhere within our enemy's fortress.

"Keep your attention on _them_ Sting" Rogue warned me, as he caught my smiling face. I pouted.

"But I worry about'cha Rogue" I said in a mock-childish voice that made the raven-haired mage scowl.

"You should be more worried about yourself, look" Rogue, my mate, said, pointing to the looming image of four dark suits of armor.

"Not more of those guys. They're just golems but they're too freakin' annoying" I whined, before I began rushing forward to meet them head-on. As I did so, Rogue turned into a shadow and quickly sent five more of his own opponents crashing to the ground. "I can't be shown up by him, though… How could I ever top again if I let him outshine me?" I grinned.

"Just hurry up and finish this Sting, you can worry about that later" Rogue called out, before flooring another three opponents with one shadowy fist.

I rolled my eyes. "Geez Rogue, I was only kidding" I smirked, before concentrating my magic on the four golems. "White Dragon Roar" I commanded, as white light erupted from my mouth and crashed into each of the golems, ripping through their tough armor and sending them to the floor dead. "Lucky my Light-based spells seem to be effective on them…" I muttered, before sending light-infused fists forward to pummel the last remaining enemies that dared to try to attack me. As I finished my work I turned to see Rogue finishing up too. "Come on Rogue, we gotta regroup with the others before something really bad happens" I called out to him. Lector and Frosch were busy trying to get a message to outside for back up, since Pantherlily had found us earlier, ranting and raving about some witch who had apparently defeated Gajeel and the others with ease. "You heard that big crash too… it could be that woman" I warned. Rogue narrowed his eyes at me, as he sent the final two opponents crashing into a wall with a Shadow Dragon Claw.

"I know Sting" he replied, as I walked over to him, dodging a few of the groaning bodies as I did so. Running a hand through my hair, sending blond peaks up in all directions, I sighed; this mission was by far the most stressful thing I had done since becoming Master of Sabertooth.

"Well then… let's get going" I stated. Rogue nodded, and we proceeded to go through yet another door to yet another corridor. "Is it just me or do you think this place was _designed_ to be a pain in the ass to get around, I mean… all these corridor's look the same" I huffed. Rogue shrugged.

"How should I know, maybe the enemy did this to avoid people being able to find them?" the black-haired mage offered. I smiled.

"That's actually pretty clever Rogue" I beamed, before patting the Shadow Dragon on the back.

Rogue looked to me with a death stare. "Keep your head in the game, Sting. Take that hand off now, since you're only gonna make it get _lower_ " he growled. I took my hand off quickly, feeling like, somehow, I had just been burned.

"Alright, but… hey, wait, what's that?" I asked, pointing further in the corridor. Rogue frowned and followed my extended arm to see a giant hole in the wall. "Come on, let's check it out" I motioned for Rogue to follow me. Running up to the darkened hole in the wall, I peered into a plain-looking room with weapons strewn all over. There were holes in the floor, and a door that seemed to have been blasted off its hinges. "Do you think Natsu coulda done this?" I questioned. Rogue nodded.

"Yeah, it definitely was him. Or at least, he was here" Rogue stated, before pointing to the edge of the large hole that we had just entered the room by. "See those scorch markings" he stated. I nodded, before returning to surveying the scene.

"Whatever happened here it must've been one hell of a fight" I commented. Rogue nodded in agreement. Peering back through the hole, we both noticed that several rooms, at least a dozen of them by my estimate, had holes leading from one to the next, all the way into the darkness. "Looks like if he was here he went in that direction" I stated. Rogue nodded again.

"Yes, but… I don't think we should go that way Sting" the Shadow Dragon said, a slight fear edged in his voice.

Furrowing my brows, I cocked my head in question. "Why not, they could need our help" I stated. The Shadow Dragon looked at me.

"I can feel the air flow, there's a big hole down there, if we did follow them, we'll just end up falling in. Plus… can you not smell that?" he said, giving a few sniffs of the air. I did the same, and suddenly I picked up on what Rogue may be referring too.

"Yeah, it smells like… a really big darkness. Like… death" I stated confusedly. Rogue shuddered.

"I've not ever smelled shadow magic like that. We'd best be cautious and wait on the others to back us up, or else we don't know what could be waiting for us up ahead" he said cautiously. I nodded in agreement, the stench of death was enough to put me off charging ahead too. _Yet Natsu and the others must be down there… what the hell they're fighting I don't know…_ I thought, sparing a silent prayer that everyone was okay.

/

 **General POV**

Walter smirked as his Requip finished. The timely intervention of Gray was all that had saved him from death, however now that he stood in his Divine Garment he knew that death was not something to be feared. By him at least.

"The power that stands before you now, is not just I, Walter, but also the power of he who ultimately rules over life and death; Thanatos, the Lord of Demise" Walter declared brazenly as he fixed the sleeve of his suit. Lucy gaped at the sudden costume change, whilst Erza and Gray suddenly felt a faint chill as dark magic emanated in tidal waves off of Walter's body; it made them both curl away instinctively, and Gray even went so far as to shield Natsu from it. The suit itself was as showy as Astraeus, but not at all bright. Unlike the bedazzling blues and golds of the Lord of the Stars, the Thanatos suit jacket was jet black, only a faint silvery trim defining where the shadows stopped and Walter began, with matching black trousers and shoes. The waistcoat was equally black, but with faint silver trails running along it that glimmered in the dim lighting of the deep pit in which they all stood. The most eye-catching thing about the outfit were the twin epaulets that Walter wore, each in the shape of a skull and made of a silvery metal; the red jewels in their eyes glowed ominously. From these shoulder-fixtures a cloak of darkness extended down to the ground, where it appeared to have actually merged with the shadows at Walter's feet. Finally, to complete the outfit, the teen wore two black cloth gloves, each with an intricate design around the cuffs, along with a pattern on the back of each hand. At closer inspection Lucy realised that on Walter's left hand the pattern form a skull on the back of his hand, with five stars around it, all done in a silver thread, whilst on his right hand he had the inverse; a star pattern around which five skulls were designed.

Clad in his shadowy Lord of Demise suit, Walter took a step forward and gave a curt bow to Damien. The Maker mage seemed stunned, not least because of the ominous air that was now surrounding Walter like a deep, dense fog. Looking into the eyes of the Requip mage, Damien could see the usually grey-blue eyes were flecked with tiny specs of black, and a black ring had formed around half-way into his iris. "What… is this?" Damien muttered.

"This… is my newest, and most ultimate power, Dame" Walter grinned. The Maker mage shook his head.

"Surely you can't be serious, you can't use the powers of life and death without…" Damien began, before a shrug from Walter silenced him.

"You'll see" Walter chirped playfully. Damien gritted his teeth as Walter spun on his heel and went over to the Devil Slayer and his pink-haired mate.

"Damn it…" Damien cursed, before charging up his magic, "DAMN IT! I won't let you walk away from me like that, you cocky ass bastard!" Damien called out, before golden light enveloped his hands. "Come to me, Yin Make; Army of Darkness. Yang Make; Crushing Halberd" Damien commanded, before the golden light shifted to form a weapon in his hands. Walter didn't even bother looking, as he was too busy analyzing Natsu's form, and as the shadows around Damien warped into more of those armored golems, he laughed.

"Is that all, a few numbers to bolster your forces. You're better than that Damien" Walter called out, before turning to meet Damien's gaze once more. "Besides, numbers are _my_ thing in this suit" he grinned, flicking his shadow-cape wide, as Damien ordered his mini-army forward. "Bone Minions come forth and devour" Walter commanded.

Looking with surprise, Damien saw how the twenty or so soldiers he summoned were easily overcome by practically a hundred tiny skeletal figures, with each bone minion erupting from within the darkness of Walter's cape, and running madly towards the oncoming force, like a pack of wild beasts. "They're… it's… impossible!" Damien crowed angrily, before stomping forward to destroy the horde himself. As he proceeded toward them, Cyrus smirked and gave a short little nod to Walter. A moment later a cry sounded out as Damien fell into the trap Cyrus had left, a barrier or runes growing upwards to form a cube around the Maker mage, his golems, and the horde of undead that Walter had summoned. "Alright Walter, Blake and I will hold him there, you do whatever it is that suit can do" Cyrus stated, before gesturing to Blake.

Walter nodded, allowing his cape to fall back down his shoulders, "I will do it quickly but… be careful, those undead _cannot_ be controlled, they'll attack anything in sight, be it you, Damien, or his golems" Walter warned the pair. Blake smirked, before making a few hand-signs that Cyrus grinned at.

Looking at the pair confusedly, Erza frowned. Cyrus saw her expression and explained their smirks. "He said, it's just like the time that Walter created his Apollo guns and then found he couldn't control the fire spirits that were _supposed_ to be shot from the barrel" Cyrus stated. Walter pouted.

"That was twenty years ago, let it go" he whined. Cyrus shrugged.

"I'll let it go when you finally dismantle that gun. I know you've still got it stored up somewhere" the Script mage stated, before tapping Blake on the shoulder. "Come on Blake, we've got a bloodbath to bathe in" Cyrus chuckled, before running up to his own runic barrier, Blake coming up a moment later. The pair looked to each other for a moment, before a small hole was made in the barrier and the two proceeded through, the gap closing seconds later.

Taking one last look to the enclosed battle-space, Walter then proceeded to turn and march back towards the unconscious Natsu, and Gray, who stilled cradled Natsu by the shoulders. "Those two won't last forever in there" Walter stated flatly, as Lucy and Erza moved to stand on Natsu's left, opposite where Gray was crouched.

The Ice mage flicked his gaze up to the dark-haired Requip mage. "Then do what you're gonna do. Quickly… I just want Natsu… safe…" Gray stated, trying his best to remain in control. Walter nodded.

"Yes, I will… but only after I explain exactly what it is I intend to do, Gray" he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Gray nodded his head slightly, however it was clear that he didn't really want to have any delay, so Lucy asked the vital question.

"What _are_ you going to do? I thought you said this curse couldn't be broken" the blonde celestial mage stated. Walter glanced to Lucy before responding.

"I was correct, this curse can only be broken in death" Walter replied, earning a fearful, but angry, look from Gray. Holding his hands up, palms flat, Walter gave Gray a reassuring smile. "I don't mean I'm going to _kill_ Natsu… well… I am, but I'm not" Walter answered hesitantly, before Gray's eyes flared.

"Eh?" he huffed in confusion.

Walter took a breath in and tried to figure out the best way to explain this. "I guess… look, it's not the first-time people have gone up against Sorrow. Several years ago, we tracked Sorrow and Joy to a place we thought was Damian's hideout. We were wrong and only that damned witch was there, waiting for us. After a brief skirmish, she took a few of the magic council members we had hired hostage, before using her curse on them. Among them was a particular agent, who I had become quite _close_ with. Knowing full well that there was no way to heal him, or remove the curse, I used my Code to break down his body and kill him cleanly, however… that was no reprieve to his family" Walter explained, closing his eyes against the memory for a second.

After a moment, Erza decided to speak up. Gray, who still wore a mask of protective anger, had heard the tone of sadness in Walter's voice and chose not to speak. "So… what does that have to do with Natsu, with Thanatos?" the red-head voiced.

Walter opened his eyes and met Erza's look. "After that moment, I vowed to assist the magic council, as well as find a way to stop Sorrow's power. Eventually I figured it out; if you want to remove the curse you have to kill the person and then _bring them back_ " Walter explained, a little more fire in his voice. Lucy went wide-eyed hearing this.

"But won't that mean you'll get cursed for messing with life? I read somewhere that Anksheram always cursing people when they try to bring back the dead" the Celestial Spirit mage asked. Walter smirked at her reply.

"Yes, that was a problem… however I found a way to overcome it" Walter answered her, before holding up his hands, showing the backs of his palms and the intricate designs there. "See these… they are magical inscriptions, very old and very powerful. They are what power this suit" Walter stated. "On my right hand, I have a star with five skulls; each time I use a powerful summoning spell from the necromancy abilities woven into this cloak a skull will disappear, once all five have gone, I will lose the star" Walter added.

Lucy frowned looking closer at the gloves. "What does the star do? And why have you still got five when you summoned all those?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the battle-cube.

Walter chuckled. "It has to be a powerful summon, those creatures are weak but numerous and incontrollable. They do not cost me my powers. The star, however, is the main reason I am able to overcome the curse of messing with life and death. As long as those skulls are in place I am, in essence, undead. I feel no pain and am not, technically, alive" Walter explained, earning odd looks from all present. "Don't worry, I'm not a zombie or anything, I will recover from this. But anyways, that special little effect negates the curse that would be given to me should I use these powers without it, can't make an immortal out of a dead body" Walter grinned.

Gray grunted from his position on the ground. "What about Natsu?" he barked tiredly. Walter shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah yes… well… I can sever Natsu's body and soul using this suit. It will use up one of my available powers, but it should remove the curse. Like I said it will kill him, kind of, and then using this suits power I bring him back instantly, reattaching his soul. Make sense?" Walter asked after explaining. Gray nodded.

"Sure… but…" he sent his gaze downwards. Walter read Gray's movements, the protective instincts of a mate clear even in this non-Dragon Slayer.

"I get why you must be afraid. Either way Natsu will not be cursed, but as this is my first time doing this, it is a gamble as to whether it will work" Walter admitted. Gray took this information in for a moment, before replying. Laying Natsu flat on the ground, the Ice mage gave his mate one last short, sweet kiss, before standing up and looking to Walter. "Do it" he stated flatly, before going and standing over Natsu. Walter nodded and moved to stand at the Fire Dragon Slayer's head.

"Okay. I will make sure it is quick" he stated, before raising both arms above his head, shadows swirling around his hands, as he began to cast his spell.

/

The shadows grew in both number and depth as the inky blackness enveloped Walter's whole hand. "By the power of Thanatos, and by my right as its wielder, I command the soul of this individual to leave his body" Walter muttered, before holding his arms over Natsu's form. "Rend his soul and give unto me absolute control over his existence. Soul… Rend!" he commanded, before the shadows burst forth from his hand. Gray almost leapt as he saw them pierce Natsu's chest, however… there was no blood, no wound at all from the assault. After a few seconds the shadows dissipated and Walter had a vague look on his face. "Damn… I can… see the curse… its leaving his body… just a few more seconds…" Walter mumbled to himself. From their own terrified position, the other mages could see how much Walter's body trembled; clearly this spell would take a lot out of his magic power.

"Walter… Natsu…" Gray held his breath. After four painful seconds, Walter eventually heaved a sigh, before kneeling down and placing his hands on Natsu's exposed chest. "I release the soul with the command that it must return to this body, free of any sickness or illness, free of any plight or blight. May it wake to the faces of those it loves" Walter breathed. After a moment, the Requip mage stood up shakily, before leaning back and resting on a pile of rubble. Looking into the expectant eyes of the Ice mage he nodded. "It is done" he stated, before closing his eyes.

Hearing Walter's confirmation, Gray rushed straight back to Natsu's side and held the Fire Mage's hand. "Natsu… wake up" he stated. Lucy and Erza looked apprehensively towards the mated pair, each silently hoping that Walter's spell had worked; so far, he got no reply. "Wake up Natsu" Gray said again, this time with a more cooing tone. When Natsu did not stir, Gray glared up at Walter. The Requip mage was tired and did not open his eyes to meet what would quickly become his worst nightmare if the spell was proven to fail. Taking in Walter's appearance, Gray turned right back to Natsu.

"Fucking hell… Natsu… wake up… please… you can't just sleep when… just wake up!" Gray pleaded. A few minutes passed and Natsu failed to wake up. Taking one last look at his sleeping mate, Gray stood up from where the Fire mage lay and turned to Lucy and Erza. "Don't follow me" he stated, before proceeding to march towards an unoccupied space, in between two stacks of rubble. Before he had even gotten three steps away, however, a noise stopped him in his tracks.

"Stup-id… pops… icle" It was Natsu's voice.

Gray whirled around to see Natsu's half-lidded eyes looking up at him. The raven-haired Ice Mage smiled brightly as he saw the dark eyes of his mate, with their inner fire burning. Natsu was free of the curse, _and he was alive_.

/

Whilst the happy cheers of Lucy and Erza rang out, Cyrus and Blake were busy ripping through both monster and foe alike. The brunette gritted his teeth in anger as his back was pressed up against the rune wall, two dark-armored golems standing before him. "Damn it…" he muttered, before slashing his pen in the air to quickly write up two symbols. "Red Script; Burning Anger" Cyrus called out, commanding the red symbols to activate. They did, conjuring forth an eruption of crimson fire that pushed the oncoming golems back, far enough that the younger-looking mage could squeeze past to a more appropriate position. Turning their hulking bodies to face him once more the slightly singed golems each heaved up a large black axe. "Not enough to kill you then…" Cyrus huffed, before slashing his pen in the air once more, "Then try this, White Script; Purity".

The white runes flashed brightly, before a wave of light sent both golems to their knees. After a moment, both of the armored creatures dispersed back into the shadows that they had been created from. Wiping his brow, Cyrus barely had any time to relax as a skeletal figure leaped at him from above. "Ah… Red Blaze" Cyrus crowed hurriedly, writing a symbol into the air that sent the creature rolling away on a ball of flame. "That was close" the Script mage commented, before whirling around to see if there were any other obvious opponents. Confident that there wasn't, he decided to take a moment to recover.

The battle hadn't been going on five minutes when he heard the shouts from Walter's position, and the Script mage assumed that his friend had been successful. _Not long now, then we can focus on dealing with Damien_ Cyrus thought to himself. As he thought this, two more figures erupted through a pile of debris left from the fall; Blake and Damien.

Damien had ahold of Blake and was sending the Elixir Mage crashing into the ground. "All those annoying minions do nothing to stop me, Blake, and whilst your back was turned to fight them, you gave me the perfect chance to strike" the Maker mage cackled. Cyrus frowned in frustration.

"Not if I'm here" he muttered to himself, before readying a spell in the air, "Rainbow Script; Tri-Elemental Burst" the Script mage commanded. Damien, unawares of Cyrus' presence or spell, continued taunting Blake.

"You all split up to save your _friends_ and stop me too, a foolish move. I think I'll break _you_ first, quickly followed by Cyrus. Then that only leaves Walter" Damien stated with a wicked grin on his face. Blake stared up at the Maker mage defiantly.

Damien pushed Blake further into the ground. "What are you looking so confident for? No one is around to-" then Damien realised his mistake. Turning too late, he saw Cyrus smirking, from behind a twirling eruption of lightning, flame and water.

"Thanks for keeping him distracted Blake" the Script mage called out, before Damien glowered. "I know we split up to avoid getting caught in any traps, but… I think that now we should stick together" Cyrus added, looking directly at Blake. The Elixir mage nodded, before smiling. Damien realised that the pair had only been toying with him whilst they were trapped in the brunette teen's rune-arena.

"Damn it!" Damien cried out, before his golden armor was struck by the tri-elemental spell that Cyrus had unleashed, forcing the Maker mage away and off of Blake. Helping his friend up, Cyrus looked over to Damien. The golden armor that Damien had surrounded himself with previously still shone boldly, not a scratch on it; the same could not be said for the Maker mage's face, which was cut from the rock pile he had just been sent into by Cyrus' spell. Groaning, Damien picked himself up, once more facing the two members of the Triplet Code.

"Hmph… I've actually been injured" Damien stated, wiping the blood from his cheek. Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"Don't pretend like you've _never_ been injured before Damien, we know you have. _Many_ times" the Script mage replied. Damien growled.

"Don't look so cocky Cyrus, I can see from here that even you are running low on magic… I wonder if you even have enough to defeat me now" the blond mage growled, before raising his eyebrows in question. Blake didn't bother with a reply, even a signed one.

Instead the Elixir mage pulled the stopper off of a deep yellow substance and allowed it to flow free. Damien watched with a mixture of interest and caution as the yellow liquid flowed over Blake's person and hardened like an armor. "The Demonic Coat potion" Cyrus half-explained. Damien glanced at the change before scoffing.

" _You_ want to take me on, one-on-one?" he laughed, looking Blake in the eyes. The dark-haired boy shook his head, before he produced another potion. Unlike the other concoctions, this one was not in a vial or bottle, but was instead in a black canister. Becoming even more suspicious, Damien readied for whatever attack he thought would follow.

Still smirking Blake, held the canister up above his head, before throwing it down to the ground. Thinking it some kind of bomb, Damien conjured up a defensive shield into his right hand to protect himself from the blast. When no explosion came he, he peeked up to see both Cyrus and Blake laughing. "You thought it was going to explode? Do you really think were _that_ desperate to die?" Cyrus chuckled, earning a scornful look from Damien.

"You mean it isn't?" the Maker mage inquired angrily.

Cyrus nodded, however before Damien could lower his guard too much, the Script mage decided to explain exactly how he and Blake intended on winning. "It is not a bomb, however… you are gonna die from it" Cyrus chuckled darkly. Narrowing his eyes at the Script mage, Damien tried to think of how that attack could have succeeded in doing anything deadly. Seeing his enemy's confusion, Cyrus elaborated on their plan. "Within that canister was a highly toxic substance, a gas that breaks magic up inside of living creatures and stops them from working spells" he explained, before gesturing to Damien, "With just one breath of it, you have sealed your defeat, _and your fate_ " he added amusedly.

Damien went wide eyed, before smiling. "Your bluffing, if that was the case then _you_ would be effected too" the Maker mage accused. Cyrus smirked widely at his accusation; he had expected it after all.

"True, except… I am immune to the gas. Whilst you cowered behind your shield, Blake administered to me the antidote, and with his Demonic Coat he is immune to its effect himself" Cyrus stated, before pointing to Damien. "Any second now you should feel it…" he added, giving an expectant look to the Maker mage.

True to Cyrus' word, Damien began to feel odd, and moments later his magical armor flashed out of existence. "N-no…" he breathed, grasping at his throat more as a reactionary measure than because of anything suffocating him.

Cyrus watched with glee as the Maker mage fell to the ground. "Even you are nothing without your magic. Blake prepared that poison especially for you, and now in this moment I will kill you before you can do any more damage" Cyrus stated, before beginning to draw in the air with his pen. "Good bye Damien" he added with a very victorious tone. Damien watched in horror as Cyrus prepared his final attack, however at that moment he felt something within him; a deep burning sensation.

"I will not… be defeated!" Damien called out, before once more standing before the pair. Cyrus watched carefully as he continued writing his spell in the air, Blake beside him prepared to counter any desperate act that Damien might try.

"It's impossible for you to do anything, you have no magic left" Cyrus called out, reminding the seemingly deluded mage that regardless of what he wanted, the situation was that he could not use magic and was about to die. Damien gave Cyrus a wicked smirk.

"There is always something I can do… you seem to forget my Code" Damien laughed, "The Code of Bonding… although it may not make new bonds in its weakened state, it may still remove bonds and remake them. If I just… use it… like this…" Damien's eyes went glazed for a moment, and then suddenly a bright flash overtook his body. As the light grew, a pulse was sent out that knocked Cyrus and Blake to their feet, before the runic barrier that surrounded their battlefield shattered.

"What?!" Cyrus barked in surprise, seeing his spell broken.

Damien's smirk grew as his glazed expression gave way to one of victory, "There… I removed the bonds within that gas, and broke it down into harmless energy… there is nothing left of it within me and now I may do what I should have done earlier" he stated, glaring at Cyrus and Blake as they stood back up, "Kill you both and then finally kill Walter… so my plan may go ahead unhindered" he stated wickedly.

Cyrus narrowed his eyes at Damien, about to retort something, however evil Maker mage silenced him with another deadly glare. This was followed by an eruption of shadows from his right arm and a bright flowing light from his left as he utilized his power to make the necessary weapons to defeat the two Code members in one go. "You have lost… I will now use my most powerful tools to kill you both" Damien stated, raising his arms up as the shadows and light began to solidify.

"Not if I can help it!" a voice played out, before it's source erupted from behind some more rubble. Walter stood with only the faintest smile on his face, his Thanatos armor glinting grimly in the low light of the tunnel, its shadow-cape fluttering around his person like liquid night, only without the stars. "Walter…" Damien grunted angrily, as he swiveled his body to oppose the new threat; whilst Cyrus and Blake were annoying, even Damien had to admit Walter's strength in his new Divine Garment.

"Damien… I see you managed to survive my little onslaught, however there is nothing you can do now that I have finished dealing with Sorrow's damnable curse. I will kill you" Walter replied to the Maker mage's unpleasant tone.

"Hah, no. There is nothing _you_ can do now… for while it is impressive that you managed to remove Sorrow's curse, even I can tell you are greatly fatigued from your efforts. You will be the one to die now" Damien retorted.

"Tch…" Walter gritted his teeth; annoyingly, his opponent's assessment was correct, the Requip mage barely had enough energy for that entrance, never mind an extended fight.

"So, I was correct…" Damien chuckled, "Good. It will make this a lot easier, now go, my Heavenly Spear" he added, before throwing the newly formed golden spear in his left hand. Walter saw the attack coming and raised his left hand, one of the star-patterns glowing ominously.

"I command the shadows, consume all light. Absolute Null Barrier" Walter commanded quickly, conjuring forth a wall of inky blackness. The spear struck the wall, before vanishing instantly. With the attack failing, Walter opened up a hole in the darkness, to reveal his face to Damien.

"Grr…" Damien growled in frustration, "My spear should not have been able to be avoided".

Walter shrugged. "Whether it _should_ or not is irrelevant. With Thanatos I command absolutely all shadows, and the darkness of death is no exception… it will block, consume, or tear through anything I will for it to… up to five times at least" he explained. Damien heard this and narrowed his eyes.

"That really is an interesting suit you've got yourself… however… let's see how its power works on _this_ " Damien gestured to the bow that had finished materializing in his right hand. It was a deep red colour, and appeared to be constructed of bone and flesh rather than wood or metal.

"Is that thing… alive?!" Walter gawked in surprise. Damien smiled evilly.

"Perhaps… it is a demon bow. With it I can fire very deadly living darts that _should_ … no _will_ tear through that puny defense you summoned up" the Maker mage boasted, pulling the draw-string back with no arrow notched. Walter raised an eyebrow at the Maker mage.

"You really think it'll work… with no arrow?" he mocked. Damien laughed.

"Keep smiling, right up until I put an arrow between your eyes, Walt" he retorted, before letting go of the string. As soon as his fingers ceased to touch the bowstring, an arrow of red flame was unleashed that scorched through the air towards the hole in Walter's barrier that Walter had made. The Requip mage already was aware of where Damien would aim, and quickly patched up the hole until there was once more a wall of inky black shadow. Unable to see the arrow, however, Walter just waited until he thought it must have struck. Just before he decided to check, Walter felt more heat erupt from Damien's side of the barrier, and quickly the Requip mage realised that his opponent was unleashing volley after volley of flaming arrows towards his barrier, seemingly to no effect.

Using all his skills, Walter quickly calculated that his barrier would not hold against such punishment and he came up with a counter-strategy. Holding up his left hand once again, Walter uttered another spell. "I command the shadows, consume all light. Grasp of Death" he said in a hushed tone, making sure not to alert Damien to his plan. As the spell began to work, shadows accumulated at Walter's feet. "Now I just need to be able to _see_ Damien to use this" Walter mumbled to himself.

After a few more explosive arrow attacks resounded against Walter's barrier, there was silence. Taking this to mean Damien had finally ceased his offense, the Requip mage carefully opened up a small hole in his defense, and looked out. When Damien caught Walter's eye, he smiled and waved the bow, showing he was not wielding it. "I can see your defense is _very_ formidable" Damien openly voiced, earning a slight smile from Walter, before the Requip mage opened up a larger hole in his shadow barrier. Glancing to the side, Walter saw how Cyrus and Blake stood observing; they were both prepared to intervene, but decided it was best to wait as they were unsure if their actions would interrupt Walter's strategy. He silently thanked them for their consideration, before smiling broader at Damien. "Glad to see you realised the futility of that attack…" he stated, looking directly at the Maker mage.

Damien nodded. "Nothing has stood up to such an attack from me like that in such a long time, I am _somewhat_ impressed… however… you seem to think like I'm out of options" he stated, before moving to reveal another weapon that had been stashed away in a side-holster, covered by his dark blue suit-jacket. It was a silvery hand gun.

Walter analysed the weapon quickly, and judged it to be at least a small threat, however not enough to stop his next move. "Ah ha… a cute little gun… It's nice to see you dabble in other things Dame, however… I'm afraid that isn't going to be enough to stop me now, now when I've got _this_ " at that command the shadows that had pooled around Walter's feet erupted up, forming a myriad grasping, clawed hands. "The Grasp of Death… with it I will pull your soul right out and drag it to hell. Once again… goodbye Damien" Walter stated, before pointing towards the Maker mage. Damien cursed and began to reach for his gun, however at that moment something stopped him; the far-off ringing of a bell in one of his fortress towers.

Hearing that sound, Walter hesitated. "What's that noise for?" he questioned Damien openly. The Maker mage smiled.

"Your doom" was all he replied, before a vast golden glow emanated from his body.

"What the-" Walter began to say, before he realised that the glow was getting brighter. Then he found himself being picked up and thrown by some great force, his shadows all eradicated in the face of this intense brilliance. "Agh!" Walter cried out as the bell continued ringing out.

/

After a few moments, the light dissipated, and Walter, Cyrus and Blake all stood up. The other two Code members had also been thrown away by the same force as Walter had. Looking around the three realised the Damien was gone, much as they had expected. "Where'd he go?" Walter cursed quietly to himself; the Requip mage was annoyed at himself as he had come so close to finally striking the Maker mage down, only to be pushed back once again.

"I don't know, but perhaps we should check if the others are okay?" Cyrus ventured. Blake and Walter nodded.

Quickly making their way through the rubble, the trio found their friends in a different situation to what Walter had left them in. "Walter!" Lucy called out to him, as she and Erza stood vigil over the sleeping, but now curse-free bodies of Gajeel, Wendy, Laxus and Carla. "What was that light just now?"

Walter looked to the blonde Celestial mage before replying. "It was Damien, have you seen him?" he replied.

Lucy shook her head. "No… but Natsu and Gray went over the other side of this rubble to have a couple of minutes' privacy… they might know" she offered. Walter nodded, before gesturing to Cyrus and Blake.

"I'll go check with them quickly, Cyrus and Blake… you keep these guys protected… if Damien strikes then fight him off" Walter stated quickly. The two other mages nodded and assumed defensive perimeter quickly whilst he rushed off after Natsu and Gray. Finding the pair a few seconds later, Walter relayed to them the same information as he had just given Lucy.

"No… I ain't seen him" Gray stated quickly, he was as eager as Walter to find the Maker amge, and pay him back for causing Natsu injury too.

"I haven't either… but I can't smell either too… I'm still weak after that curse thing" Natsu stated. Walter nodded, before gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Damn it… where is he?" Walter muttered, before a clap sound alerted him to another person's presence. Twirling around quickly, Walter found himself standing face-to-face with Damien.

"Where am I? I'm right here" the Maker mage stated cockily. Walter's nostrils flared with rage as Damien smiled cockily.

"You… I should have killed you with that last attack… I won't fail again. I command the shadows-" Walter began, raising his left hand. Damien shook his head.

"Not this time" he stated, before waving his arm, light bursting forthat that quickly wrapped around both Walter, Natsu and Gray, before solidifying into chains. "I can't have you interrupting _this_ bit" Damien stated, before holding up a big, purple lacrima crystal.

Walter recognized it instantly. "Wait… that's… so the bell was for… NO!" the realisation struck the Requip mage like a bus.

Damien nodded. "Oh yes… That bell was the signal for the final Nightmare to take the stage, and for the stage to then become _mine_. After I sensed some oncoming enemies I made the preparations speed up a bit, Walter… and now they've finally finished. The Nightmare of Humanity is coming, and after that… my time as a mere human will end. Now it is the time for my final, grand ascension" Damien laughed, holding the Soul Lacrima up into the air.

It began glowing brightly as the Maker mage uttered the words to activated his spell. All Walter could do was watch, watch as his eighty-year long aim was shattered before his eyes.

The world was coming to an end.

 **Chapter 44 End**

 **Next Chapter; Humanity**


	47. Chapter 45 - Humanity

**Chapter 45 – Humanity**

 **General POV**

The world was coming to an end.

Damien held the Soul Crystal lacrima high above his head, a victorious smile plastered over his face as he stared directly into the eyes of Walter. The Requip mage struggled vehemently against the golden chain bindings that the Maker mage had wound around both he, and the mated Dragon Slayer couple that he was stood in front of. "Damn it… damn damn damn… DAMN IT!" Walter cursed, getting increasingly agitated. Natsu looked to Gray with a worried expression.

Had they failed? He was not sure, something felt off.

"How does it… feel to lose… Walter?" Damien asked, as he tried to get in one last gloat before the spell was complete.

Walter growled angrily at the blond-haired boy. "I won't… I _haven't_ lost… _yet_ " Walter breathed, still struggling to get free. As the light from the crystal grew more intense, another sound could be heard; the sound of running feet.

"Walter!" Cyrus called out as he and Blake bounded through the rubble piles with Erza and Lucy in tow. The Script mage had a serious look to his face as he witnessed the scene before him.

"Ah… the Calvary arrives… too late" Damien said with an amused tone, before he was met by a scowl from Cyrus.

"Not if I can help it" the Script mage retorted, raising his magic pen to begin writing a spell. Damien laughed.

"Oooh… pathetic" he giggled, before he waved his free hand, a golden glow exploding out from his fingertips, which quickly became chains that bound both Cyrus, and the rest of the mages present. "You'd have been better served attacking from the shadows… not that it'd have done much good" Damien stated with a condescending tone.

Cyrus ignored the comment as he looked to Walter. "What are we going to do, Prime?" he asked, his voice level and eyes cold, as he tried to keep his coded personality in check.

Walter ceased his futile struggling. "There's nothing we can do… I failed to stop him even with Thanatos… and now…" the teens voice trailed off tiredly, like all his energy and zeal had just left his body.

Natsu was amazed to see Walter so depressed. Looking to Gray, the Fire mage gave the Ice mage a concerned look. Gray took in the sight of his mate. "I…" he started to speak, before Natsu shook his head to interrupt him.

"I don't wanna hear another 'I love you' or anything like that" the Fire Dragon Slayer stated. Gray seemed confused by the pinkette's words.

"But…" he began to argue back, only for Natsu to more angrily stop him.

"I said I _don't want to hear it Gray_ " he snapped, before looking to Walter and the others. "I can't believe you'd all just give up either… Walter… Cyrus… Blake… You may not be a part of Fairy Tail, but you've been with us long enough, you've _lived_ and _worked_ with us long enough, to know that we _never_ give up" Natsu added, directing his comments to the Triplet Code members. Walter craned his neck to look at the pink haired mage. A slight smile touched his teenage face, however his eyes still held a look of deep, old regret.

"I know Natsu. But… we can't undo these bindings, and we can't stop Damien… that spell will finish in a matter of moments and everything we attempted to do as the Triplet Code will have been for naught" Walter stated. Cyrus nodded in agreement.

"We failed" he stated flatly.

Natsu grunted as he shifted to sit in a more upright position. "I thought you were gonna all fight until the end. You said you'd die before you'd fail… how can you give up now, when you're so close to your goal" Natsu asked them. Gray gave a surprised look as his normally hyperactive and not-all-that-bright mate actually said something meaningful.

"Right at the end he still surprises me…" Gray smirked slightly, muttering to himself. Natsu turned to the raven-haired mage.

"And you… save you're 'I love you' for _after_ we beat this guy" Natsu added, "Because right now we've got a bad guy to beat".

Gray smirked wider at Natsu's show of bravery, however the smile was short lived as Damien's cackling laugh thundered across the room, amplified by the insane magic power that was now covering his body, dripping down from the crystal in his hands.

"IT'S TOO LATE. THE SPELL IS DONE AND EVEN WITH YOUR BREAVERY YOU FAILED… NOW I WILL ASCEEEEEEEND" he roared loudly, before taking the Crystal in both hands. "GOOD BYE HUMANITY… GOOD BYE… WALT" he added, throwing the glowing lacrima to the ground, and shattering it into a million pieces.

Watching in terror, Walter and the others saw how the Soul Crystal shattered, and then a pillar of rainbow light erupted from beneath Damien's feet; the light that would herald the birth of a nightmare, and the end of the world.

/

 **Gray POV**

I turned to Natsu as the light erupted forth. If I was going to die at least I got to do it beside the Dragon mage I loved; looking at him, being close to him, and with him as my mate I felt a great sense of peace. _I'm going to die now… but at least I can say I died with one shred of happiness in my life. I know you don't want to hear it but I'll think it anyways… I love you Natsu_ … _and I always will_ I smiled broadly at the pinkette as the light-pillar grew, expanding quickly towards our group.

Then the light overtook my body, and everything went dark.

/

Death felt stranger than I expected… it felt kind of like life. Except that everything was dark and I couldn't see… and the floor was cold… and there were other people… and my heart was still beating… and Natsu's heat was still nearby… and I could hear groans of discomfort coming from all directions… and there was someone's hand in mine… and… it was Natsu's?

 _What's going on?_ I thought in confusion _Am I really dead? But didn't Walter say that the world would end?_ My confusion grew.

"Natsu?" I voiced, with vague hope that the pinkette could hear me. There was no reply. "Natsu?" I tried again.

This time I was met by a slightly mumbled reply. "Gray…" Natsu's voice sounded out.

"Natsu… are you alive?" I asked. As I asked this I tried groping around, hoping that wherever the Fire mage was he was nearby. After a few attempts I felt the hot skin, and muscular body that I knew so well.

"What was that?" Natsu's voice barked in surprise.

I smiled. "It was me Natsu… I was just trying to find you. It's dark here, isn't it" I said.

Natsu mumbled something, before I felt him shift, and I felt his hot breath closer to me. "Yeah it is… y'okay?" he asked me. I shrugged and tried sitting up.

"Yeah, I'm fine… just I can't see" I replied.

Natsu chuckled. "I can't see either, but I _can_ smell… and I smell Walter" he stated. I went wide eyed.

"Walter's here? Did he die too?" I asked. This made Natsu chuckle.

"Gray… err… we're not dead" the pinkette stated. I jaw-dropped.

"We're not?" I said in surprise. As I spoke, I felt a shift in the air, which I was guessing was Natsu either shaking his head or laughing. Or both.

"No, we're not. I don't think everything'd smell just like it did a moment ago if we were dead" Natsu stated. I took this information in.

"If we're not dead does that mean that Walter and the others are around here…" I asked.

Natsu hesitated to answer. "I don't know… but if they are I don't think they're awake yet" the pinkette answered. I took this information in again before replying.

"Maybe they're knocked out or something… even if they are though we can't find 'em since we can't see" I said.

Natsu grunted, before his tone of voice changed; I didn't even need to see the Fire Dragon Slayer to know he was smiling. "We can't see 'em, but I can smell 'em" he stated. I smirked hearing Natsu's confident tone.

"Lead the way" I replied, "Just… don't let go of my hand" I added, feeling slightly embarrassed for saying such a thing. Natsu chuckled.

"Okay Ice Princess, I won't let myself get separated from you" he stated, before rubbing his thumb over my knuckles reassuringly. With that promise Natsu and I shifted position so we were both on our hands and knees, crawling around blind. "Just another thing Gray…" Natsu prompted as we both began our search for the others.

"What is it Natsu?" I asked the pinkette.

"I don't think it's dark in here… I think we might be blind from that bright light" Natsu stated. I stopped.

"Oh…" I breathed in realisation. Natsu seemed to stop too, waiting for me to get to grips with our current situation. After a moment, I shrugged my shoulders. "If we are, we are, there's nothing we can do… although… I will kill Walter after this, if this is permanent and I never get to see your beautiful face again" I voiced. Natsu laughed at my response.

"That's the… er… spirit Gray. But it doesn't matter if it _is_ permanent… I'm sure that Walter and the others will be able to do something to reverse it. I mean… if they really wanted to couldn't they just rebuild our eyes?" Natsu questioned. I pouted, Natsu was being annoyingly intelligent today, completely unlike his usual self.

"I guess you're right… speaking of Walter, can you find him yet?" I asked as we began crawling around again. Natsu was a moment in responding, and when he did it was with confidence.

"I don't think it's gonna be a problem" he replied.

"Why?" I questioned suspiciously.

Natsu gave a grin (or at least I think he did from his tone). "Because I've just hit Walter's arm when I was crawling around" Natsu stated.

/

 **General POV**

Walter opened his eyes to a most disconcerting sight; Natsu and Gray grinning like a pair of idiots on their hands and knees. Quickly taking in their vague looks the Requip mage shook his head to wake himself up. "We're all alive?" he questioned aloud.

Natsu gave a slightly confused look. "Err… I guess so" he replied, "I can't really tell right now, but since we both are, and you are too Walter then I guess so" he added.

Walter nodded, before sitting up and taking in their surroundings; rubble was still strewn about the place, they were still in a pit, and the giant pillar of light was still present. "Is that… light… Damien's spell is still going?" Walter questioned. Natsu and Gray gave worried expressions hearing this, and the Requip mage confusedly looked between the pair. "You didn't notice?" he queried them both. Natsu made a muttered noise, before Gray decided to speak up.

"No… we didn't… you see… well, more accurately we _don't_ see" Gray blathered. Walter pouted in further confusion, before he realised what the Ice mage was referring to, and then to double check he looked into the pairs eyes once more. _Yup… blind_ he thought to himself.

"Ah… I see… the light must've blinded you" Walter stated. Gray gave a slightly affirming facial expression, something near to defeat, but not quite.

"Yeah" he admitted, before Natsu chirped up.

"But we still found you Walter. I'm guessing that you _can_ see since you're talking about that light and stuff" Natsu commented. Walter nodded, although he then realised the futility of this action, doing it in front of the _blinded_ pair.

"Yes, I can see" he verbally confirmed. Natsu smiled.

"So… is everyone else okay then, since you can see?" the pinkette asked. Walter shrugged and stood up, the sudden movement seemingly startling Natsu, who had maintained a grip on his wrist until that moment. "I'm just gonna look around, okay, then I'll be back" Walter stated, trying to reassure the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu nodded, before moving to a sitting position. Gray followed suit, and only with them both sitting did Walter notice they were holding hands.

Smiling a little at the action, although the Requip mage guessed it was probably more to do with getting separated than anything else, he began searching around. It didn't take Walter long to find the others; Cyrus and Blake already being awake and sitting over an unconscious Erza and Lucy. When Walter approached, the Script mage stood up. "Walter… this is bad" Cyrus stated bluntly.

The Requip mage nodded in agreement. "Yeah… looks like Damien's spell is working, but with the rushed preparations I'm guessing its gonna take a few minutes for him to step outta that light again. We gotta think of something to stop him before that happens" Walter stated.

Cyrus closed his eyes in thought for a moment. "We could try _that_ tactic" he ventured. Walter shook his head.

"I don't have the power left to fuel the Styx for more than a few seconds, and from what it looks like to me, you can't use Armageddon either… that only leaves Blake" Walter stated. Blake heard his name and looked over at the pair from where he was sitting and tending to the minor injuries Lucy and Erza had incurred from the blast-wave. He shook his head forlornly, Walter nodded in understanding. "Okay… so Lucifer is out too… that means our best bet is to try to get everyone out as quickly as possible. Even if Damien ascends we _may_ be able to get the Council to do something. It was always the last-last resort… Etherion may be able to destabilize Damien's spell and wipe out the bastard…" Walter said with an angry tone. Cyrus nodded in understanding.

"Okay. That's what we'll have to do then… did you find Natsu and Gray on your ventures?" the brunette asked. Walter smirked.

"Actually… I'd still be asleep now if they hadn't woken me up… but… it appears that they have been blinded by the light. I don't think its permanent, but we need to have Blake check 'em over" Walter chuckled. Blake heard Water's evaluation and stood up from his work. Making a few quick hand-signs he gestured for Walter to lead the way. Walter nodded, and gave Cyrus a small gesture towards Erza and Lucy.

"I will take care of them. Once they're awake we can prepare our next move" Cyrus stated in understanding of Walter's unspoken command.

Walter nodded in confirmation as he began to lead Blake back towards where he had left Natsu and Gray.

/

It didn't take the two Triplet Code mages long to find the mated pair, and when they did they almost wished that they hadn't. Seeing Natsu and Gray together, Walter felt like he was intruding on something very personal, and whilst he didn't mind messing around and playing match-maker, now was neither the time nor the place for romantic stuff, so seeing the pair, with Natsu resting his head on Gray's shoulder as the two talked quietly between themselves (from what Walter could over hear it was something about dates) the Requip mage found himself lost for words. After a moment, he decided to clear his throat to break the pair up. The noise ceased any more communication by the mated pair. "We're back. Cyrus and Blake are okay, and Erza and Lucy are just slightly injured, a few scrapes and bruises at most" the Requip mage stated, gaining relieved looks from both of the Fairy Tail mages. "Blake's here with me now, he will quickly check you over, and see what can be done about that blindness" Walter added, earning slightly happier looks from the pair.

"Okay" Natsu smiled, as Blake made his way over and knelt down to the pinkette. He had to hold Natsu's head at an angle to observe the Fire mage's eyes. Natsu had recoiled from the touch for a moment, before he realised what was happening and allowed Blake to do this. "So… is it okay?" Natsu asked with a slightly worried tone.

Walter looked expectantly to Blake for a response. After a moment, the Dark Elixir mage let go of Natsu and turned to Gray, repeating the same process without a word. "Well Blake?" Walter asked, getting a little impatient, and glancing towards the pillar of light like he expected Damien to suddenly jump out and attack.

The dark-haired mage nodded to himself as he let go of Gray's head and stood up. Looking to Walter he signed something with his hands. "So… is it okay?" Gray asked now, getting increasingly worried by not being able to see the pairs exchange.

Walter was a moment in replying as he read Blake's hand signs. "Err…" he mumbled, which did not reassure the two, "Blake says it can be fixed by a potion he can mix, but he doesn't have it on him right now, nor does he have the ingredients to make it. But at least it _can_ be reversed" Walter relayed, trying to sound optimistic for the sake of the pair. Natsu and Gray took this news in with mixed responses.

"That's… alright" Gray stated unsurely.

"But… how are we gonna get the stuff to make it right now, do we not have to deal with Damien first?" Natsu asked. Walter looked a little solemnly to the pair for a moment.

"About that… the way things are looking at the moment, me, Cyrus and Blake are going to get you two, as well as Erza, Lucy and the other Dragon Slayer's outta here and then… either we're gonna try something drastic against Damien, or we're gonna call in the Magic Council. At this point Etherion might be our best, or our only, option" Walter explained, gritting his teeth slightly in preparation for Natsu and Gray's response to this new plan.

After a moment, the pink haired mage responded, although not in the way anyone, Gray included, expected. "That's good… at least we'll be safe" Natsu stated.

Gray seemed shocked by his mates reply and looked in Natsu's vague direction. "Are you feeling okay Natsu?" he asked sarcastically.

Natsu frowned and looked directly at the Ice mage, his sense of smell making up for his lack of sight, an advantage Gray did not have. "Yes, I am okay Gray" he replied, equally as sarcastic as his mate, "I was just happy that you aren't gonna be caught up in any fighting whilst your blinded" Gray gave an expression of realisation hearing this.

"Okay… I was just checking because normally I would've thought you'd fight even if you _were_ blind" Gray stated. Natsu pouted in response to this.

"I know I might've done that in the past, but... I've got you to think about now, Gray" Natsu replied. Gray nodded, before looking away and not-at-all towards Walter.

"So… what are we gonna do now?" he asked the Requip mage. Walter had to hold back a slight chuckle at the indirectness of Gray's action.

"Well… since you two are physically okay, but blind, we might bring you to the others and then Cyrus and Blake can-" Walter cut himself off mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, quickly alert to the suddenly tense atmosphere that emanated from Walter's position.

"Get down!" Walter barked suddenly, before the pillar of light began glowing more intensely.

After a moment, another shock-wave ripped through the room, and after this the pillar fizzled out of existence; two new beings left in its wake.

/

As the shock-wave passed over them, Natsu and Gray huddled together, their combined strength preventing either of them being blown away. Walter held the ground tightly, the cape of his Thanatos suit flapping madly in the sudden gale-force explosion, Blake was beside Natsu and Gray with a hastily released potion wrapped around his hands that stuck him to the ground. Walter smiled at Blake for a moment, before he looked back towards the rapidly-fading pillar. After a second, he grimaced; two large stacks of rubble had toppled over in the shock-wave and were now rushing towards Gray and Natsu's position. Realising that the pair could not see this oncoming danger, Walter gritted his teeth; with the force of the wind he could neither shout to warn the mated pair, nor even breath if he dared open his mouth. Quickly thinking of some of the actions he could take, Walter decided on the only thing still available to him, and raising his arm with all his strength, fighting against the force that crushed at him, he pointed towards the rock and stone. ' _Shadows bellow and shadows rage. Death to all on life's cruel stage. Reaping Darkness'_ Walter thought, incanting the shadows to obey him at the cost of one of his three remaining stars on his left hand. At that silent spell the shadows around Walter exploded upwards, forming hundreds of tendrils of darkness that surged forward, striking the rubble and reducing it from chunks of rock to nothing more than mortar-powder and brick-dust. Blake smiled at the actions of his friend, before using all his power to extend the sticky potion outwards and take ahold of Natsu and Gray.

After a few minutes the howling gale subsided and the four mages could stand once more. Without even saying a word to anyone, Walter bolted towards the place where the light originated. Blake watched him go, however he could not leave Natsu and Gray alone. Trying to explain to the pair, without speaking, was difficult, however they quickly realised that Walter had left the mute alone to deal with them and they allowed themselves to be ushered carefully back toward the others.

Reunited with Cyrus, Blake quickly divulged his information on the situation. The Script mage had already pre-empted a second shock-wave and had constructed a barrier of runes to prevent it from affecting the unconscious wounded. Natsu and Gray were deposited next to a still-unconscious Lucy and Erza, whilst Laxus, Wendy, Carla and Gajeel were laid carefully in a line slightly farther away; none of the other Dragon Slayers had woken up yet from the effects of Sorrow's now-removed curse. After a few moments, Cyrus tried to get Natsu and Gray up to speed, however all he could manage to say was a few words, before a battle-cry sounded out.

Whipping their heads around to the direction of the sounds source, everyone who was still conscious held the same thought in their heads. _Walter?!_

/

Walter ran towards the source of the light that Damien had conjured earlier, every muscle and fiber of his being telling him that the second explosion of energy was something bad, something that should be feared. Something _unnatural_. Scrambling up a pile of rubble, Walter surveyed the scene he, and his fellow Triplet Code members had feared more than anything.

"Damn it…" Walter breathed, panting heavily from the run. Down on the ground below Damien lay exposed, his body completely motionless. Suspicious that the enemy boy would leave himself so open, Walter crept closer cautiously. "This might be my last chance… if I can just… touch him my code will… destroy him and then we will… win" Walter stated as his eyes darted from side to side, prepared for an ambush.

"You will lose" a voice said suddenly. Whirling around on the spot, Walter could not see the source of the sound.

"Damien?" he questioned aloud, hoping that the teen he used to know would still reply, despite the apparent foolishness of such an action. A laugh sounded out instead.

"Ah… names, such a quaint idea, but one not without merit" the voice stated, growing louder and closer. Walter gave a confused look.

"So, you're not Damien?" Walter asked; the voice sounded like Damien's, at least in part. It had a disembodied quality to it, like it didn't really belong to something, but was instead imitating its source, like an echo.

"I am not Damien, but I do have his memories" the voice stated. Walter furrowed his brow.

"Are you what he became, this 'Nightmare of Humanity', then?" Walter queried. The voice laughed again.

"Hah, those Nightmares were naught but tools, much like the idiot child that bore them. A useful tool, but a useless sentiment, and definitely something a human would create. Such dull and boring creatures…" the voice cackled. Walter suddenly felt a rush of power from above his person, and dived back out of its way. Looking up he could see no source.

"So, I ask you again, what are you?" he questioned, his voice growing angry and menacing, trying more desperately to gain as much information as he could about this potential foe. The other voice laughed a final time, before it finally decided to reveal itself.

"I am the thing that you have fought for all these years. If I had a name you would call me Function, however…" Walter suddenly became aware of a presence that seemed to hover above Damien's form, "For now I will take this body and you may refer to me by my _true_ name. I am the Codex" the voice stated, before Damien's body jumped up to life, a wicked smirk on its face.

Walter narrowed his eyes on the Codex, hiding deep inside Damien's body. "So, you _did_ escape then" he muttered "Was it you who caused all this?"

Again, the Codex laughed. "Indeed, however… you need not worry about that for long, for like Damien's body, I have need of _your_ body too. I will recover from you what your foolish master sought to hide".

Walter's nostrils flared and his eyes twitched with rage at the inference to his long-dead master. "You will _not_ be taking my code too. Regardless of _what_ you may be, I will maintain my vow to prevent my code from falling into the wrong hands, and even more so I will keep our guild, the Three Cubed's, vow to destroy _you_ " Walter barked. The Codex chuckled.

"I see that unlike Damien, you will not go down easy. It looks like I will not have need of this body after all… instead, I think I will take on in a form more appropriate for this occasion. Let us see how confident you are when I become a thing that truly deserves your fear" the Codex stated, before he raised his stolen bodies arms out, his head looking into the space above like a reverent priest at a shrine. "I will become a true monster, one so horrifying you will do nothing expect beg for your petty life. I will become… The Codex _Beast_ " he roared, before another rush of magical energy left Damien's body, twirling and swirling around in the air before growing larger and reshaping into something truly horrific. Walter watched as Damien's body fell to the ground, as lifeless as a ragdoll that had been tossed aside, and then, with rage burning bright he shouted loudly up at the rapidly solidifying form that the Codex had taken.

"DAMN YOU AND DAMN YOUR WHOLE EXISTANCE. IF IT TAKES MY OWN EXISTANCE I WILL END YOU NOW AND MAKE SURE THAT I DRAG YOU TO THE GATES OF THE UNDERWORLD MYSELF!" Walter barked, voice growing perpetually angry.

The Codex Beast laughed one last time, before its shape became real, and its now predatory eyes locked down onto Walter's body with satisfaction. With one wicked, bestial smirk, the Codex said the words it had wanted to say for a long time. "Come then human, fight me and see if your borrowed power can really stand up to the real thing".

/

 **Cyrus POV**

The roaring voice of Walter led me and Blake to the sight of our most fearful nightmare. As I stood on a platform of runes, observing the scene before me, my eyes instantly locked onto Walter, screaming curses and throwing shadows at this towering monstrosity. After hearing the Requip mages initial battle-cry, Blake and I had left Natsu and Gray to wake up Erza and explain to her the situation in the hopes that she could lead them all to safety.

Scanning my eyes over the beast, I called on my additional reserves of magic power and activated my Scribes Eyes. "It's… a huge mass of magical energy… the ethernano concentration must be enormous, at least as much as an Etherion blast although perhaps more" I breathed, as my enhanced vision took in all the magical aspects of the creature.

Blake nodded in understanding, before asking me for more information with a few hand signs. Reading the silent questions quickly, I returned to analyzing our foe. "I think it's… yes, I can see a core deep inside the cloud of energy. It's the Codex" I confirmed. After a moment, I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes and blinked rapidly, deactivating the Eye magic spell as I did so. Blake gave me a concerned look.

 _Did you overuse your Scribe's Eyes again?_ He questioned silently. I nodded.

"I don't have much power left, but enough to support Walter. We need to get him out of there, as from the looks of that beast he won't be able to defeat it, not in his current condition at least" I stated. Blake nodded.

 _Fine. You prepare a defensive barrier. I will go get him with my Demon Dance potion_ Blake signed, before taking two vials from his belt. I gave each potion a quick look, confirming what I already knew.

 _The Demon Blood to activate his demonic side, then the Demon Dance to warp space around himself and grab Walter. I'd better prepare a containment spell in case that suit-obsessed idiot does something stupid_ I thought, before a nod at Blake signaled my preparedness for the next move. At my signal, Blake smiled and drank the two potions down in two swift movements, before pocketing their empty vials. "Grab him before he can complain" I stated, as I began constructing a barrier out of grey runes. Blake gave me a thumbs-up, before his outline became fuzzy from the effects of his Demon Dance potion. After a moment, Blake ceased to exist in that space entirely, and as I looked over to Walter's still barking form I saw the reappearance of the Elixir mage to Walter's left.

The Requip mage barely had any time to register Blake's sudden arrival as moments later, and one large leap from Blake, Walter found himself seated within a barrier of shimmering grey runes. Giving a slightly disorientated look, he eyed me and Blake up. "You two took your time" he stated flatly. I smirked.

"We would've been here sooner, however we had to make sure the others were prepared before we left. Regardless… what happened here?" I asked. Walter rubbed the back of his head, standing back up. The Codex Beast shifted from where it had been looking down at Walter, to instead staring directly at all three of us, nestled behind my hastily written barrier.

"After the second shock wave, I bolted straight here… however… I was too late. The Codex consumed Damien's form and then became that… _thing_ " Walter pointed an accusing finger towards the monster, which maintained its predatory stance, prowling backwards and forwards in the only space clear of rubble. Looking deep into its eyes I could see the flicker of malice that signaled more than just animalistic intent, a sign of intelligence that made me think of the creature as all the more deadly.

"I see… then I'm guessing you lost it from seeing Damien fall, right?" I questioned, my lack of empathy clear in my voice, as I focused more on watching the beast.

Walter nodded. "Yes, I just-" he began, before I shook my head.

"You just forgot that our purpose, our very existence right up to this moment has been to kill Damien. Your love for that blond manipulator lead you to do some reckless charge against a creature that could have ripped you apart at any moment, _and_ taken your code" I snapped at Walter. The Requip mage hung his head in shame.

"Fine, yes, I lost it because of my past feelings… however… things aren't at all what we expected, Cyrus. That monster holds within it all the memories of Damien, and has surely been pulling the strings from the start. I refuse to let go of my emotions as you have done, and I will continue to love Damien regardless of all this pain I feel. I-" once more I cut Walter off mid-flow, raising my hand to stop his rant, however not without good reason. Annoyed, Walter narrowed his eyes at me, however instead of saying anything, I just pointed towards the giant creature before us.

The beast had stopped its pacing and now stood with the most wicked grin upon its face. It didn't take my Scribes Eyes to know that it was preparing to attack, and after a moment I was proven right; just not in the way I had expected. With a vicious, beastly laugh, the Codex picked up the body of Damien with a hand-like claw, before giving it a slightly judgmental look. "It seems… that fighting you would be a waste of my power. I would like to see you squirm… just not by my own hand" the beast stated, placing Damien's body back onto the ground in front of it. Walter kept a suspicious eye on Damien, although even I could tell that this was more to do with his emotional attachment, than some suspicion of his enemy. After a moment, the Codex held its hand-claw in the air above Damien, a stream of energy pouring forth. The energy permeated Damien's body, before its flow was cut off. "It is done" the Codex bellowed, giving us a satisfied look. Walter was gritting his teeth, trying to hold back an involuntary shout.

"What is done?" he asked in a trembling voice. The Codex chuckled.

"I just completed what Damien wanted" it answered critically. Giving a puzzled expression, Walter turned to me, however I was too busy fixating on analyzing the Codex's monstrous form, attempting to find some weakness we could exploit, to answer the Requip mage's question.

The question didn't require answering, as it turned out, since after a moment Damien stood up, without any apparent assistance from the Codex at all. "He's alive?" Walter questioned aloud, the hopeful surprise in his voice annoying me somewhat. _He ignores my warnings about emotions however… wait… if Damien is up and about…_

"Walter, it may be Damien in a sense, but it's not Damien" I warned suddenly. The Requip mage turned to me once more.

"Be clearer Cyrus" Walter stipulated, wanting a definitive answer from me before he made his next move.

I was too slow to reply, as another voice cut into our conversation. "It means, Walter, that I am standing here, but not as your friend, and not even as a code holder" Damien stated, "I am the Nightmare of Humanity" he added.

Walter curled his hands into fists. "You what?" he barked.

Damien smirked, glancing up at the Codex. "I'm afraid that… it looks like…" he began, before the Codex took over.

"That's enough Damien. You shan't speak about my plans, or about your powers. Just defeat them" it stated. Damien turned and looked back towards our group once more, this time with a much more serious expression. _What has happened to him? He was always cocky, however… he never gave an expression like that… could it be…_ my eyes drifted up to the Codex once more as my mind rapidly began putting things into place. _Of course… that is why he… and then… and… so that is what they intend…_ I began to think with realisation dawning.

With a little more thought, I realised everything that had happened, and just what plans the Codex, and by extension Damien, had made. Looking to Walter I gave a grave expression.

"Walter" I stated flatly, getting the Requip mage's attention, he turned and seemed taken aback by my withdrawn face. "I now understand everything. What they intend to do, how we will play a part… and more importantly I finally realise what we all tried and failed to when we were kids; the reason for Damien's betrayal" I stated, no emotion in my voice as I relayed this final thought.

Walter nodded, before turning back to Damien. The Codex and the Nightmare were standing, poised to strike, but seemingly waiting for something. "Is it what I suspect, is that _thing_ what took Damien from us? Did it kill our Master and his wife?" he asked. I nodded.

"Without taking action they did. It appears that we have been manipulated for the last eighty or so years" I answered. Walter smirked.

"Then I guess we really were the fools, however… I think I'm feeling like I want to be foolish one last time" Walter stated, gesturing with a raised fist towards the two foes. I smiled.

"If what I suspect is true, then we can't afford not to be foolish; it may very well dictate the outcome of this battle. The fate of the world really does stand on our next actions" I stated, with a heavy tone in my voice that was fringed by the same optimism that I felt coming off of Walter. Blake smiled and made a few gestures. Both Walter and I read them with practiced speed, smiles broadening on all three of our faces.

 _I think that we all are going to need to have another little talk with Damien. But first… we need to deal with that beast. Everyone else is counting on us, and we can't break our promises, not after keeping our old one for so long._ He signed.

Blake then pointed to the enemy, making a final few signs. _Once more unto the breach?_ He asked silently. Walter and I each nodded.

"Agreed Blake" Walter said, "The Triplet Code was built on a promise, and so it would defy all logic, emotional or not, to break a one that we made to our comrades… no, our friends" he added. I nodded, flicking my sleeve so that the concealed pen was now in my hand.

"I also agree. Plus… I want to have a proper bout, all I've done in these fights so far is hang back and support. Now is not the time for that, now I'll give it my fullest power" I stated, giving them all a confident smile, probably the last one I would give, since if we did all go up against the Codex, it was unlikely that we would survive.

After our agreed decision to fight, we all turned to the beast and its puppet Nightmare, our confidence shining brightly down upon them.

"So, you finally decide to fight seriously, to bad it's too late" Damien commented.

The Codex just licked its beastly lips; everything appeared to be going as it planned. _And if I'm right, then it probably is_ I thought a little darkly.

 **Chapter 45 End**

 **Next Chapter; True love, or fantasy?**


	48. Chapter 46 - True Love, or Fantasy?

**Chapter 46 – True Love, or Fantasy?**

 **General POV**

The Codex Beast loomed above Cyrus, Walter and Blake, the trio of mages unperturbed by its appearance. At a glance, it appeared like a giant lizard, with scale-like skin and four enormous limbs, each ending in clawed hands or feet. This was superficial, however, as the Beast was much more than some tyrannical lizard. It had a tail, again laden with scales, however this ended in hundreds of feather-like appendages with eye-like designs on them, and upon its head there were not just two large eyes, but also a dozen smaller ones that blinked in unison, their slitted gazes taking in information from all sides. The most disturbing thing was the giant gaping mouth, in which was held millions of tiny pointed teeth, that gave the creature a wicked smile. The creature was showing a smile as Walter strode forwards, off the platform of runes that Cyrus had constructed, and standing before the Codex and the boy-Nightmare that stood beside the creature's belly.

"So, you finally decide to fight seriously, too bad it's too late" the Nightmare of Humanity, formally Damien, commented.

Walter nodded. "Better to go down swinging than to completely submit" he stated. Humanity chuckled.

"I suppose you're going to say that I was always more submissive than you?" the Nightmare mused. Walter cracked a slight smile.

"No, I wouldn't be so cocky to assume that, Dame. What I _was_ going to say is that _I_ was never the one to be submissive… although it is a little fun from time to time" Walter retorted. The Nightmare of Humanity scowled.

"I am no longer Damien. I am the Nightmare of Humanity" it barked. Walter shrugged.

"So you say, yet you still have Damien's memories" he said, pointing to the Nightmare with an accusing finger. The Codex licked its lips as it observed the quarrelling boys. After a moment, it decided that this was boring, and intervened.

"Silence, Nightmare of Humanity" it barked with a deep, booming voice that still echoed Damien's own voice in part, the same voice that the Nightmare of Humanity used. Walter looked up.

"Silence yourself, lizard" he shouted up, craning his neck to look into the monsters many eyes.

The Codex laughed. "Lower beings should respect those greater than themselves, an ant does not tell a man to be quiet, so too should a man not seek to silence a god" it said, arrogance dripping off of every word that it uttered. "Regardless, I grow bored with your bickering, and wish to say one thing; bend at the knee, submit to me your codes, and I will spare your existence" it added after a moment. Walter smiled as he heard this preposition, looking to Cyrus and Blake in order to gain their approval of his next statement. They gave it each with a little nod.

Turning back to the Codex, Walter gave their joint reply. "Never!" he called in a slightly overdramatic but confident tone.

The Codex just grinned; this too had been part of its plan. Now it just had to give the command it wanted to give and everything would be over. Looking to its new puppet, it smiled its wicked, bestial smile. "Nightmare, take their codes" it stated, voice edged with amusement at the current situation. The Nightmare of Humanity bowed, still not uttering a word.

Walter registered the exchange, and called up shadows to assist him. Cyrus was already writing runes into the air as the Nightmare charged forward.

/

"Damien, do you really think you'll succeed against _all_ of us?" Walter questioned, as shadows were flicked from his fingertips, forcing the Nightmare to stop its frontal assault prematurely. The Nightmare did not speak. "So, you do think you'll succeed?" Walter questioned.

The Nightmare just smirked, before a flash of golden light signaled the activation of its powers. A moment later it held a vicious golden halberd, around which soft yellow light swirled. Cyrus analysed the Nightmare's spell-casting quickly, using his Scribes Eyes for only the barest moment. That moment was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. "Walter…" Cyrus started, earning a quick glance from the Requip mage to signal he was listening. "That isn't Damien" he stated, "I think… based on his spell casting… Damien's inside there somewhere, that's the only way he can use that magic, however for all intents and purposes that _isn't_ Damien, it really is just another Nightmare" Cyrus explained, worriedly glancing at the Requip mage to observe how he was going to respond to the news. Walter, surprisingly, smiled.

"That's good to hear Cyrus" he said. Cyrus furrowed his brow. "It means I can go all out without thinking I'm hitting Damien" he added. The Script mage sighed.

"Still naive… regardless, calling him out will be a useless waste of time, the Nightmare appears to be under the complete control of that beast, so he won't reply because it ordered him to be silent" Cyrus added to his explanation. Walter nodded again, showing receipt of this information.

"That explains why he's as quiet as Blake" Walter said. Cyrus nodded, before looking to the Dark Elixir mage. He smirked at the comment.

 _I'm not gonna be silent for long_ he signed quickly. Cyrus and Walter both nodded at this.

"Right, so… should we go with the usual strategy?" Walter asked after a moment. Cyrus ran a hand through his hair, thinking for a moment.

"Yes. If we can push him back, then one of us can go and take on that beast whilst the others take out the Nightmare" Cyrus stated. Walter smiled.

"I'll be the one to go. Styx is the best bet for destroying them _without_ causing mass destruction to everyone and everything else" Walter said confidently. Blake nodded, before taking out two phials from a hidden pocket in his jacket. He offered them to both Cyrus and Walter.

 _I made these specially. If the formula is correct, then it should replenish our magic power quickly. I only have two though, and since I've used the least magic out of all of us so far, I can handle this without them_ he signed. Cyrus and Walter looked to each other for a moment, before removing the stoppers of the phials. "Bottoms up" Walter said, smiling.

Cyrus looked to Blake. "You didn't tell me about these?" he questioned. Blake shrugged.

 _I wanted to make sure you'd both survive, but I figured if I told you about them, you'd be more inclined to waste your magic power_ he explained. Cyrus smirked.

"Always looking out for us" he said, before downing the contents of the phial.

After returning the phials to Blake, Walter and Cyrus turned towards the Nightmare of Humanity. It hadn't moved from its spot a short distance away from their group. With the effects of the potion slowly returning their magical power, Walter and Cyrus nodded to each other before preparing for the next move.

Walter was first to act, calling up his magic. "Requip; Chronos, the Time Lord" he said, light accumulating around his body for a moment as the spell began to work.

Cyrus was next, drawing his pen and scribbling runes down in the air. Blake was only a moment behind him, removing the stoppers off of three of his potions, black sludge-men forming from the contents. With his protectors in place, Blake then retreated a safe distance, and began to accumulate his own power to his fingertips, before pressing them to his throat to release the limiting spell placed there.

The Codex watched with amusement from above as its four favorite puppets were about to perform their final show. _After this_ , it decided, _I will begin my reign of terror_.

/

The Nightmare of Humanity smirked viciously as Walter began charging forward, the Requip only completing as the boy neared his target. Without even stopping his charge, Walter held his hand out. "From darkness of night I call you to my side. Split time asunder; Twilight" he called quickly, shadows seeping from the black metallic epaulet he wore, forming a solid spear of blackness that he held in his hand. The Nightmare raised its eyebrow with slight interest, before raising its own halberd to block the incoming downward slash that Walter delivered.

Walter knew what the Nightmare was thinking. "Yes, this suit is powered with a small fraction of Shadow Maker magic, although not as powerful as _Damien's_ " he stated, before moving from their locked weapons, jumping back before rushing forwards and delivering a powerful thrust. Humanity chuckled, as it moved to dodge the attack, throwing itself right. Walter was a moment in registering its movement, as white light formed in its free hand, forming a blade that it sent arcing in to slice at Walter's throat. Walter saw the attack and jumped up, doing a flip backwards. The Nightmare was unperturbed by the acrobatic show, already pressing its bladed attack with another one-handed thrust from its halberd. In the air, Walter was unable to block or dodge the attack, however that did not matter, as Cyrus came to his rescue. "Red-Yellow Script Fusion; Blast Spark" he barked in the midst of writing his more-complex spell. Two runes glowed instantly from in amongst the hundreds that the brunette had written in elegant patters around his person, their yellow and red colours merging to form a fireball of crimson that crackled with golden-white lightning. Humanity only had a second to register the spell being cast and had to quickly drop its halberd, summoning up a shield of golden light to protect itself from the counter attack.

As the Nightmare was driven back, Walter landed from his jump safely, a thankful smile on his face. "Thanks Cyrus, I'm not gonna make that mistake again" he said, before holding up his black spear. "Twilight, I command you, rend time asunder and allow me free movement to double that of normal flow" Walter commanded. The spear shifted in Walter's hands at the command, floating above his person. Walter looked up as Twilight began wrapping his body in shadows that faded after a moment. As they faded, Walter felt himself shift, like a sudden weightlessness had overtaken his body. "Good" he nodded, "Now anything I do will be completed in half the time that it should, and all other forces only work on me at half the strength meaning…" he grabbed the spear from the air, before leaping forward without hardly any effort; gravity and air resistance were no longer his concern. "I can attack this usurper without him being able to even register my movement" Walter finished, as his spear tip moved to slice at the Nightmare, who seemed to be confused as to what was going on.

Walter cheered triumphantly as the spear tip pierced the Nightmare's shoulder, driving it back a significant distance. He pulled out his weapon and leapt back to his starting position in one movement as the Nightmare still seemed to be processing the attack. "I can move at double the speed of a normal being, Nightmare, you were just struck by me" he called out, earning a confused look from the being.

The Codex above raised a giant eyebrow with interest; this wasn't a skill it had thought a normal human could poses. Deciding to further its own amusement, it allowed its puppet to speak. "Humanity, do not disappoint me" it said in a threatening tone.

The Nightmare looked up for a moment, registering the command, before looking back to Walter. "Guess you've got other ways of being annoying, Walter" it said with a smirk. Walter raised an eyebrow.

"Guess you've just been allowed to speak again, Nightmare puppet" he retorted, the cockiness on his voice sounding more childish as his speed-enhancing spell made his every word sound faster and higher pitch. The Nightmare laughed at the effect.

"You sound like a child, which I suppose is appropriate" he stated, before readying another stance, his halberd raised in a defensive formation. Walter looked at the creature's arm, noticing then that the wound had already healed, and it was still at full fighting strength. "Damn… you heal faster than the other Nightmares" he said, "Kinda reminds me of Hope" he added. The Nightmare of Humanity scowled.

"I am _not_ that traitorous fool. His Perceptual Time Manipulation would have been useful though" he stated with a harsh-but-accepting tone of voice. Walter shrugged.

"Although I hated him, he was a lot more human than any of those other Nightmares" he stated, before pointing the tip of his spear at the opposing Nightmare, "Although as I look at you now, I guess he was even more human than Damien. More human than _you_ " he accused. This earned a viciously angry glare from the Nightmare of Humanity.

"How dare you compare me to that fool. _I AM NOT DAMIEN_ " it roared, before beginning to rush forwards. Walter smirked happily, as his taunting succeeded in drawing the opponent towards him. "Now I just gotta hold…" he muttered to himself, as he, in his speed-enhanced form, began to dodge and counter-strike with the Nightmare of Humanity.

/

Cyrus watched the exchange from his safe distance away. Barely registering the movement of the two battling beings, the brunette teen focused all his energy on completing the highly complex spell that he was writing in the air. "Defending Walter and writing this has slowed me down more than I expected" Cyrus muttered, as his eyes flashed over more rainbow colours that his pen flicked around the air. Soon, though these colours began to glow, and the spell neared its completion. Cyrus flicked his gaze to the battle momentarily, as he prepared to cast the incantation that would complete the spell as a whole. Walter was busy ducking and diving, his speedy blows striking the Nightmare, all to no avail as it healed up instantly.

"Just a little longer, Walter…" he breathed, as his pen finished the final sequence of runes that were needed. "There!" Cyrus declared. At his declaration, Walter finished one final crippling strike to the Nightmares legs, before leaping backwards.

"Now Cyrus!" Walter barked, hearing the Script mage's announcement of completion. Cyrus nodded.

"Here goes… Rainbow Script; Nebula Spectrum" he commanded, sending magical energy forward to activate the hundreds of rune-sequences that he had written in the air around his person. They each responded a second after his command, the runes glowing brightly and melting together into a bright, oscillating spectrum of technicolor that surged forward. The Nightmare of Humanity was overtaken completely by the wave of energy. It struck the being up, wrapping its body, Damien's body, in a cocoon of energy that surged around and around. It felt like being caught in a whirlpool of bright colours, and it hurt. "Walter, if you wanna go, go now" Cyrus shouted, having to raise his voice over the crashing sounds of his destructive spell. Walter nodded, running a hand through his dark, blond-tipped hair.

"Alright… just… you two make _sure_ you get outta this place if I fail. We can't have us all dying here and no one able to stop the Codex" he stated. Cyrus and Blake both nodded at this.

"We will" Cyrus promised, before looking to his spell; it wouldn't last much longer. Walter got the message, and with one final nod to the pair, he ran forward, past the rainbow maelstrom, and towards the Codex Beast.

/

The Codex Beast was surprised when its puppet was caught by such a powerful magical spell, however it was not as surprised as when it found that one of the three human mages had managed to get past the attack and stand before it, his eyes burning with rage and determination. "So… you wish to fight me still; you, a human, wish to take on a god?" the Codex said to Walter, as the Requip mage stood boldly before the beast.

Walter nodded. "Yeah, I do. I wanna fight the _thing_ that possessed Damien and took my friend away from me" he said gruffly, brandishing his Twilight Spear against the Codex Beast. The Codex laughed at the action.

"You think I possessed that fool. It was only by his weakness of heart and character that I was able to take ahold. It's not my fault that your master chose to put _me_ inside such a weak and inexorable fool" the Codex chuckled with a slight smirk.

Walter scowled. "That may be so, however you did not need to do all _this_ … I'm sure you could've found a more normal way to get a body. Heck, we _might've_ helped you if you weren't such an overconfident and cocky _monster_ " he said with a momentarily venomous tone, before shrugging, "But things are what they are. At least you gave me a form I _could_ fight and a beastie I _can_ kill" he mused. The Codex narrowed its eyes.

"You think yourself strong, wearing a fake god-like power such as that Time Lord… or that Star Lord… or even that puny Lord of Demise. Bah! They are not true gods like me, you have _nothing_ that could pose a threat to me, human" the Codex stated. Walter raised an eyebrow.

"You sure about that?" he questioned. The Codex gave a puzzled expression.

"I have witnessed you grow through the eyes of Damien. You have not one power that threatens me" it said. Walter laughed.

"Then you obviously haven't seen _this_ " Walter said, before he began to Requip, one last time. "Come forth calamity and vengeance, victory and death, the Master of Hatred, and she who commands the river of the dead. Come and possess me, Styx!" Walter cried out, his Requip light, turning harsh, and pallid as he finished his words. This change piqued the Codex's interest and it leaned in closer to observe the change. With the changing of the light, an armor unlike all his others appeared over Walter's body; The Codex eyed it with suspicion.

Walter smirked up at the creature as he stood with barely anything on his body at all, save a simple set of plain white, tight-fitting shorts that kept what little modesty he had left. After a moment rainbow light began enveloping his body too. "Now you're really in trouble" Walter said.

The Codex nearly sweat-dropped.

/

The Nightmare of Humanity finally found some reprieve as Cyrus' spell began to fade. After a moment, it finally managed to stand again. "Grr…" it growled in frustration as the hundreds of tiny wounds that cloaked its body were healed by the power of the Codex that the Nightmare borrowed. "I will kill… you… CYRUS!" it barked as it stood uninjured once more.

The brunette script mage stood a short distance away, a cocky smile on his face that rivalled even Walter's smirks. "I guess that means you're gonna be gunning for me now then?" he questioned, cocking his head to the side a little. This action elicited another gruff response from the Nightmare.

"I am going to take those pens and skewer your eyes" it cursed. Cyrus laughed.

"Come on then" he said, gesturing toward the Nightmare with open arms. Humanity raised its hands, conjuring forth a new blade as its previous weapon had already been ripped from it in the Nebula. As it willed shadows forth it rapidly became aware of a growing magical presence. Tearing its eyes off Cyrus, the Nightmare quickly glance behind, at Blake, realising only too late that the Elixir mage had his fingers pressed to his throat. Cyrus registered the revelation in the Nightmare's eyes and turned his head. "Do it Blake" he ordered. Blake nodded, before opening his mouth.

After a short inhalation, the dark-haired teen began to sing. The words were lost on the Nightmare, as the singer was too far away for it to hear properly, however it felt their effect quite quickly. Cyrus smirked for a few moments, before beginning to stride over towards the Nightmare. Once he was within ear shot he wrote in the air, ensuring not to interfere with Blake's Harmony Voice spell.

THIS IS THE HYMN OF ENSLAVEMENT, ONE OF BLAKE'S MOST POTENT TUNES.

He wrote in grey light.

IT WILL ENFORCE RESTRAINT ONTO YOUR BODY, AND PREVENT YOU FROM, MOVING, OR EVEN FROM CASTING ANY MAGIC. ONCE IT IS COMPLETED YOU WILL BE A SITTING DUCK, AND THEN I WILL BE ABLE TO FINISH YOU OFF ONCE AND FOR ALL. HUMANITY OR DAMIEN IT MATTERS NOT TO ME, I MADE A VOW TO KILL YOU AND KILL YOU I WILL.

He added. The Nightmare scanned the words as best he could, as sure enough he found that he could barely move even its borrowed eyes, let alone its head or body; Cyrus observed the difficulty it had moving with glee. After a few more sung words, a melodic tune filled the air around the Nightmare, and Blake began to stride over. "I have finished the song, now its effects should last an hour at best~" he informed the Script mage in a sing-song voice.

Cyrus nodded in understanding. "That's good. I will began preparing the final spell then" he replied. Blake nodded, before his eyes were drawn away to another place in the rubble-filled hole. Cyrus followed the gaze, and found himself looking towards a now half-naked Walter.

"Looks like he's a-a-activated Styx" Blake said, his voice stammering over the 'a' with a natural tune that seemed to fit the one that he had sung only moments before.

Cyrus nodded grimly. "Yes, his most powerful Divine Garment. Looks like he has thirty minutes before…" he avoided from finishing the sentence. The Nightmare of Humanity looked confusedly at the brunette teen.

Blake did too. "We still have _that_ which we can use… if it comes to it" he stated. Cyrus looked to the Elixir mage and nodded.

"I suppose. Regardless… it doesn't matter, we made these choices and we must stick to them" he said, shaking his head defiantly to remove the regretful thoughts from his head. Blake scowled angrily at the dismissive tone his partner just used.

"You put too little value on human life, Cy~" he said-sang.

"You haven't used that nickname in a while, Blake" he replied sarcastically. Blake shrugged. "However, it doesn't matter, since I'm going to do what I intend to anyways, and that includes defeating that monster should it come to it… whether Walter dies or not is of no consequence" Cyrus added.

Blake scowled again, however before he could reply another voice butted in, one that neither of them expected to hear. "C-yrus…" it said in a strangled voice. Both of the code bearing mages looked around with surprise on their faces.

Damien smiled at their shocked expressions.

/

The Codex laughed amusedly as Walter stood defiantly before it in nothing more than his shorts. "Is this a joke?" it inquired with a half-amused, half-wary tone in its voice.

Walter smirked, looking at his own arms and the faint rainbow glow that emanated from his skin. "It is not" he affirmed, "Although I have to admit this is my first time using this power" he added. The Codex raised a reptilian eyebrow.

"So, that really is a threat then… for I see no magic in it, but… you have definitely changed" it analysed. Walter smiled up at the creature, a cruel but interested smile.

"Yes, I have changed. This suit, or more accurately these shorts, have more power than any Divine Garment I have displayed, for they run not on magic but on my will. You know what that means…" he stated. The Codex gave a mildly puzzled expression, before a wave of realisation passed over its features.

"It uses your life energy" it queried loudly. Walter shrugged.

"Perhaps, however that was not what I was referring to" he replied. "No, what I meant for you to realise was that this suits power, Styx's power, gives me great freedom as not only can I use magic, but I can use it with wanton abandon, for no matter my magic usage, the results of using this suit will be the same" he said, raising and pointing his finger at the Codex. "You will die!" he declared a moment later. The Codex Beast laughed at the show.

"No, _you_ will die. I estimate you have thirty minutes or less before your life energy dissipates. All I have to do is crush you before you can do anything to hinder me, or, even better, I could just wait it out and the suit will do my job for me" the creature stated. Walter shrugged.

"Perhaps, I _might_ die, but I will definitely be taking you down with me" he said, "we will ride the river to the land of the dead together". Walter finished that statement, by calling on his magic to conjure forth two weapons; one a hand gun with the familiar heart-and-target shape, and the other a sword of darkest blue metal, the Sword of Astraeus.

The Codex saw the weapons and laughed lowly, before raising a clawed hand above Walter. "You are foolish to brandish your intentions so openly. I will kill you _before_ that suit does, and satisfy my long-held urge. Goodbye you most annoying of brats" it boomed, before sending its claw crashing down on Walters position. The Requip mage smiled at eh action, before he activated his magic.

"Did you forget that I am a _Swift magic_ user? It won't be so easy to crush me" he called out, as his magic propelled him twenty paces forwards in an instant, easily out of the danger area of the Codex's claw. The beast just frowned, before it began moving its other claw to crash down on Walter, this time with a slight bit more speed. Again, the Requip mage dodged, but was unable to do anything more. The Codex licked its lips, as it liked the little game of cat-and-mouse. After a few more failed attempts to crush its prey, however, it soon grew bored, and with one sideways swipe of its left claw, and a follow-up downward swipe of its right claw it finally caught Walter.

"Agh!" the teen cried out as he was smooshed beneath the weight of the magical monstrosity.

"Shouldn't have been so cocky… I didn't even have to use any magic…" the Codex hissed arrogantly, lifting its claws up to observe the sight beneath. It scowled only seconds after doing so.

"Sorry, must be my cockroach genes" Walter smiled, from his flattened, but otherwise unharmed, position on the floor. As he stood the Codex nearly gaped.

"How did you…" it began, before it noticed the intense glow around Walter's form. The teen registered the understanding in the creature's eyes.

"So now you finally realise. Whilst I may die from this suit, I won't die before those thirty minutes are up… from now until then you and I are gonna fight, and I'm not gonna take _any_ damage thanks to my God-given invulnerability" Walter said, seriousness edging into his tone now that he had stopped playing around.

The Codex narrowed its beastly eyes. "You may think that you are invincible, but as I said before… your power is nothing more than a mockery to a _true_ god like me" it hissed. Walter cracked his knuckles, before grabbing his Heart Seeker gun and Astraeus sword once more.

"I never said I was invincible, just invulnerable…" he replied, before aiming the gun barrel right at the Codex's face. "Let's see if you are too though, oh-mighty-god" he added sarcastically, before firing off a complete round of bullets.

/

Cyrus and Blake turned. "That's… impossible" the brunette muttered, as he and Blake came face-to-face with Damien. The Maker mage just smiled.

"You can't… shouldn't… be able to move, let alone speak" Blake piled on in a sing-song voice of surprise. Damien blinked slowly.

"I… can… when… N-ight…mare… is… restrained… not much… time" he said in the same strangled tone as he had gained their attention with.

Cyrus understood quickly. "Alright…" he nodded, "What do you want to say?"

"Found way… to beat… need… codes…" Damien said. Blake looked to Cyrus.

"Walter's fighting, we can't interrupt now… this could be a trap" he stated. Cyrus pouted.

"True, but-" he began, before a shout alerted the two mages to another group of people that were running up towards them; Erza and Lucy.

"Hey!" Lucy called as she ran. Cyrus gave them both looks of annoyance.

"I thought I told you two to get everyone out" he said sternly. Erza shook her head.

"The exit we thought we'd found had collapsed from the fall, there is no way out" she stated, before looking over to where Damien was held, the magic emanating around him in tune immediately alerting her to the presence of Blake's magic spell. "You caught Damien?" she asked. Cyrus nodded.

"Yes, but that's not important" he said, "Walter's fighting off the Codex for now, and Damien has been possessed by a Nightmare, the same one he was trying to create. We've subdued him with one of Blake's songs however… he seems to be able to communicate" Cyrus informed the pair. Lucy pouted.

"So that's what that big thing was we saw…" she mused, before a thought passed across her face, "if the Codex is out, does that mean we've lost?" she asked. Cyrus shrugged.

"We cannot be sure for now, however…" he tapped off as another strangled sound came from Damien's body.

"Not…lo…st" he said. Cyrus and Blake gave each other a slight glance, they nodded their heads in unison.

"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked.

"Need… Walter… use… co-des…" Damien panted, with each spoken word it appeared that the Nightmare's influence was getting stronger; Cyrus activated his Scribes Eyes to be sure.

"Okay… but our codes are incomplete, we can't use them to beat the Codex" he said. Damien looked Cyrus right into the eyes, a burning depth of emotion in those deep pits.

"Not… needed… bo-nds… c… can b-be…remade… make D-dreams… not-" he let out a strangled gasp, a noise of pain and discomfort.

"He's not going to last much longer" Blake warned. Cyrus nodded in concurrence, quickly returning his gaze to Damien.

"Speak quickly Damien" he said. The Maker mage panted.

"M-ake… Dreams… not… N-n-NIGHTMARES!" he exclaimed. At that last word, Damien's head fell limp.

"He's gone again" Blake stated the obvious. Cyrus did not even register the comment; all the brunettes thinking power was going into Damien's final words.

 _Make Nightmares? Does he mean his creations…?_

 _But that would still need a soul… perhaps use one of ours? No that wouldn't work…_

The Script mage's mind raced. Erza and Lucy also tried to process what happened, to no avail. "What should we do, Blake?" the blonde asked the dark-haired teen.

Blake shrugged. "For now, I will maintain my spell over Damien, or the Nightmare, for as long as possible. I have some other restraining potions for when it runs out but…" he glanced over to Walter for a moment, "I doubt they'll hold for long, and I can't go and support Walter right now. Damn it I feel so useless!" he cursed. Erza scowled.

"Perhaps we should see about contacting the others. If nothing else they may be able to help us get everyone out, then we can see about dealing with the Codex" she said, her pragmatic mind trying to work on its own solution. Blake shrugged.

"It's possible to get people out, but the Codex is too great a threat to leave. Cyrus, Walter and I will stay here to-"

"Ah… It's so obvious… so simple…!" Cyrus' voice cut into Blake's speech.

The three mages turned to the brunette, who was now looking at each of them like they were the stupidest people in the world. "What is it Cyrus?" Lucy asked in an unsure tone. The Script mage smiled.

"I think I might've just proven that Damien was smarter than us…" he said. The others all gave puzzled expressions. Seeing their faces mage Cyrus get even more excited. "I've just got to double check something. Whilst I do that, you two go get Natsu and gray, bring them here" he said. Erza and Lucy nodded, immediately rushing off at Cyrus' request. Only Blake bothered to ask the important question.

"What are you going to check?" he asked Cyrus, as the Script mage returned to his thinking.

"I need to analyze the Codex Beast for a second. After that… I'm gonna go grab Walter. We're doing _that_ thing" he said. Blake nodded.

"Okay, guess I'll tie up Damien now too" he added, earning a slight nod from the Script mage, who had already retreated back into his thoughts, faraway stare being directed towards the towering creature before him.

 _If I'm right that means that Damien understood our codes far better than probably even Master. And here I thought I was supposed to have the 153 IQ…_ Cyrus thought.

/

Walter sent off another salvo of bullets from his Heart Seeker gun, before he was struck by the clawed hand of the Codex Beast. "Ha ha, looks like my powered-up attacks _do_ hurt you" he cheered, as he dodged the follow-up attack of the creature. The Codex did not like the mocking tone of the 'lowly' human and growled angrily.

"Little pest" it growled, before bringing its arms up in the air. "Fine… if physical assaults don't work, let's see how you deal with magical attacks. Rain of Blades" it called out. Walter frowned as hundreds of golden blades were materialized in the space underneath the Codex's claws.

"I see… so you can still use Damien's magic" he observed, "No matter… Astraeus Blade Dance" he called out, charging magic into the dark blue metal blade in his hand, before swiping it above his person. The Codex followed the movements, and just when it thought it saw an opening it fired off its summoned blades, however not one struck. Blades of silver and gold flame erupted around Walter, parrying and sending many of the golden blades off course. "I said those would be ineffective" the Requip mage chuckled. The Codex hissed.

"I can do more than make blades, observe" it warned, before charging up another spell, "Shadow Make; Shadow Tendrils" it commanded, shadowy tentacles forming from its fingertips that lashed down at Walter at high speed. Walter laughed.

"Swift Steps" he commanded, easily sidestepping the entire attack in one go. As he did so he Requipped away both his blade and gun, opting for another strategy.

"I think it's time to try something new" he said, however before he could finish materializing the gloves he intended to wear, he felt a tap at his shoulder. Whirling around in surprise, Walter came face-to-face with Cyrus.

"No time to explain" Cyrus said, grabbing ahold of Walter's shoulder. "Violet Script; Purple Gate" he commanded quickly, a shimmering of purple runes signaling the activation of his spell. Before Walter could even usher one complaint from his lips he was teleported away from his fight, and instead to a position hidden behind a particularly large pile of rubble. The distance sounds of the enraged Codex could be heard from this new position.

"What's going on Cyrus!" Walter barked quickly. Cyrus smiled.

"We've found a way to beat the Codex" he replied calmly. Walter frowned.

"I thought _I_ was the way we were gonna defeat it" he said with a sarcastic tone. Cyrus smiled wider.

"No. After you left Blake and I were able to communicate with Damien" Cyrus began, raising his hand to silence Walter's question before he could even ask it, "It seems we've underestimated how much our dear ex-Quad code member understood about our powers. I'd wager he understood even more than our Master" Cyrus explained.

"But… what does this have to do with interrupting my fight?" Walter asked, the confusion plain on his face now. Cyrus chuckled.

"We need all of our codes for this, Walter, and don't worry about your fight, I've put up a ward of runes to hide our presence from that creature. It won't realise where we are until it's too late" the Script mage stated. As he finished speaking Blake came into view, a tied-up Damien slung over his shoulder.

 _I've completed my treatment of these ropes, and I've given him several powerful sedatives. Not even a dragon could wake up from those_ he signed, his voice gone back to being muted by Cyrus' curse.

Cyrus nodded. "Excellent. Now we just need to wait for the others to get here with those two love birds and we're set" the brunette mused. Walter frowned.

"You're brining Natsu and Gray here? But weren't they supposed to leave with the others?" the dark-haired, blond-tipped teen asked, completely at a loss as to what Cyrus was thinking.

"Everything will be explained later, it's too complicated to go over now. Just trust me… or even better, trust Damien" Cyrus stated. Walter pouted, but decided it best to just do what he was told; after all that had happened he had no reason not to trust Cyrus at least.

"Fine, however… you do realise that if this fails I won't have enough time left with Styx to defeat that monster… I will die" he said. Cyrus looked to Walter with a slightly more serious expression on his face.

"About that…" Cyrus began, before Walter felt an arm reach around his neck; Blake's arm.

"What the…!" Walter began to cry out, before a cloth pressed to his face sent him unconscious in seconds. After confirming it had worked, Blake nodded to Cyrus. Moments later Erza rounded the corner of the rubble pile.

She saw Walter unconscious in Blake's arms and jumped in surprise. "What's going on here?" she questioned. Cyrus glanced at the red-head for a moment, before responding.

"He's out cold" the brunette stated, "Blake and I did it because we intend to undo his Styx Requip and… because I don't think he'd approve of this method, however we have no choice" he added on.

Blake nodded. _Walter wanted our 'last resorts' to be irreversible in case the Codex took over any one of us, however… unlike my Lucifer and your Armageddon spells, his_ was _reversible, we just kept it quiet to avoid him worrying_ he signed, his silent message being translated by Cyrus, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Although none of us believed we'd _need_ to undo our last resort tactics, Walter's was selected to be used first both because of its minimal chance of mass destruction, and also because it was the only one with an 'escape clause', not that he knew of course" Cyrus said with amusement. Erza nodded unsurely at the comments.

"Okay… what do you intend to do now?" she asked. Cyrus looked down at Walter's form, being laid carefully on the ground by Blake.

"We're going to stop Walter's heart" he said flatly. This confused Erza all the more.

/

"You're going to do what?!" Erza gasped in surprise. Cyrus sighed loudly, and looked toward the other Requip mage, whilst Blake prepared everything for what he and Cyrus intended to do.

"I can only explain this quickly to you so listen up" the brunette stated hurriedly, Erza nodded and waited quietly for the other mage to explain himself. "Styx is one of the three 'last resort' strategies that Walter, Blake and I came up with. It is not as destructive as Blake's and not as wide-spread as my own, so he was volunteered to go up against the Codex" Cyrus began. He paused for a moment to let this sink in.

Erza nodded. "Okay" she said bluntly.

Cyrus continued. "Styx is different from Walter's other Requips, it is made from a material called Soul Leather. Basically, instead of running on magic, it uses up Walter's life-force with its powers, giving him temporary invulnerability, along with increased speed and strength" Cyrus added. Erza seemed surprised by this information, but remained quiet for the Script mage to continue. "The problem is that once activated, Styx cannot be stopped until… well… until it runs out of _fuel_. In simple terms, it stops when Walter is dead" Cyrus finished. Erza looked with astonishment to Walter's semi-naked unconscious form.

"So, he used up his own life to fight that creature? He really is a brave warrior" she mumbled quietly, respect laden heavily in her tones. Cyrus smirked slightly at the comment.

"There is, however one additional thing" the Script mage chimed, earning Erza's attention once more, "Blake and I _did_ figure out a potential way to stop Styx, which makes its use more preferable to mine or Blake's 'last resorts'. Much like how Walter used the power of Thanatos to remove Natsu's soul and return it in order to remove the curse from his body, Blake and I can stop Walter's heart for a few seconds, long enough to… err... _remove_ Styx and thereby stop its influence, saving Walter's life" Cyrus explained.

Erza took in this new information, just as Blake held up his hand to signal he was finished with his own preparations. "You are going to do it now?" she asked.

Cyrus nodded. "We need Walter's code. Whilst we do this you need to help get Natsu and Gray over here with Lucy. They are the other key to my plan" he stated flatly, as he and Blake took up positions either side of Walter. Erza nodded.

"Okay, I'll be quick… you two just make sure you are careful" she said, before rushing off again. Cyrus smiled at her retreating form for a moment, before putting on a more serious face and nodding to Blake. "Alright, let's get this over with" he stated. Blake nodded back up at him and administered the potion that would stop Walter's heart by dribbling it carefully into the teens mouth.

After a few moments, it took effect and Walter's entire body went slack. "Alright, now it's my turn…" Cyrus stated, before rapidly writing a short sequence of runes in the air that, upon completion, warped around his hand in a glowing array of white, yellow, and grey. "Yellow, Grey, White Fusion; Resuscitate" Cyrus commanded, placing his palm to Walter's chest and activating the spell.

/

Walter's whole body jerked as golden lighting rocked around it, invisible to the naked eye, but visible clearly to Cyrus' Scribes Eyes. "Again" he muttered, charging another burst of magic through his palm. The crackle surged down his arm and dissipated into the Requip mage's chest. Cyrus waited to deliver another blow; Walter skin felt warm and slightly slick with sweat, however Cyrus did not care. "Come on" he begged, delivering a third wave through his arm.

Blake kept checking Walter's vitals; unlike Cyrus he couldn't see the spells effects, however he _was_ trained in medical methods and knew what to look for when resuscitating a patient. Currently Walter displayed no change, however his Styx clothing was. Slowly, almost as if it was reacting to the fading presence of Walter's soul, the tight shorts began fading away, leaving Walter completely exposed. Blake and Cyrus did not feel embarrassed seeing Walter naked, it wasn't like they hadn't seen him naked before. After a fifth and final blast of energy, Cyrus raised his palm up off of Walter's chest. "That's all I can do. If I give him any more it won't be so much reviving him as _cooking_ him. He needs to get up now" the brunette stated. Blake nodded and pressed an ear to the Requip mages chest. Just as the last remnants of electricity were surging through Walter's body, Blake heard the faint _thump_ of a heartbeat.

Walter was alive.

Looking up to Cyrus hopefully, Blake nodded. The Script mage smiled broadly, "I knew it would work" he said. Blake shrugged.

 _I hoped so too_ he signed. A moment later a spluttering sound of surprise was heard as Lucy and Erza rounded the corner of rubble, carefully herding the mated Dragon Slayer and Ice mage.

"Why's Walter naked!" Lucy squeaked as her eyes glanced over at Walter on the ground "I thought you said they were just going to quickly revive him, Erza" she added a moment later. Cyrus shrugged.

"Well… you arrived before we could cover him up" he said nonchalantly. "Regardless… I'm glad that your all here, since now it means we can begin" he added a moment later. Natsu and Gray, who were holding each other's hand, along with the shoulder of either Lucy or Erza, sat down as they heard Cyrus speak. "Erza said you needed us" the pinkette stated, as he took a seat so as to avoid walking into any rubble. Gray sat down beside him.

"I know that we can still use magic, but surely we can't fight against that monster if even Walter could do anything to it" the Ice mage added, with a little severity in his voice. Cyrus nodded at both of their comments, although he quickly realised that they couldn't see this action.

"Yes, I need you" he said aloud, making sure that the pair heard him. They each nodded to signal that they did, and Cyrus began to explain his plan to them. "You see… I need to ask you a question" Cyrus stated. The pair looked a little confusedly for a moment, before leaning in closer.

"Okay" Natsu said, confirming that he and Gray were listening. Cyrus clear his throat for a moment, before asking; even he felt stupid doing this.

"Do you two truly _love_ each other?" he asked, earning odd looks from all present, including Blake. "Not just love, but _truly_ and _completely_ love each other" he added. Natsu and Gray looked almost confused for a moment, however they each shared a brief look into _nearly_ the other's direction. It was Gray that answered for them.

"Yes. We love each other, completely" he replied. Cyrus smiled.

"Good" he nodded, "Because that bond is what's going to save this world" he added a moment later.

/

"What do you mean it's going to save the world?" Natsu asked loudly, confused as to Cyrus' response.

The Script mage expected this, and whilst he and Blake, who had quickly figured out what Cyrus was planning after that last statement, began preparing for the upcoming spell, the brunette decided to reveal his plan. "I will explain" Cyrus stated as the pair began carefully moving Walter towards the seated mates, "When Damien spoke to us, he said that we must create a dream, and not a Nightmare, in order to defeat the Codex Beast. From this I gathered that he meant for us to create _something_ to fight it, however without his code we could not use our own codes to do it; we needed his Code of Bonding for it to work. When I presented this issue, Damien, weak as he was, told us that bonds can be remade, and whilst I didn't understand what he meant, something occurred to me. When I thought of the word bond the only thing that sprung to mind was you two; a mated pair. It was that idea that lead me to this conclusion; Damien meant for us to use you two, whom he had seen defeat Anger, in order to create the 'something' that we needed to defeat the Codex Beast. With that realisation in mind I came up with this plan, and with a bit of skill and a _lot_ of luck we may be able to do just what our so-called enemy intended. Using your bond as a base, the bond of love between mates, Walter, Blake, and I are going to create the _Ultimate_ _Nightmare_ to fight against the Codex" Cyrus declared openly, just as he and Blake finished laying Walter down on the ground. Looking to the pair, Cyrus analysed their expressions. "Do you agree to be a part of this?" he asked them, prompting for a response, time was of the essence now that he had finished his explanation.

Natsu and Blake, along with Erza and Lucy, all seemed stunned to silence at this information and quite sudden request. A moment later, the mated pair turned to each other, sharing a lasting, loving look despite their blindness. Smiling, they then shared a short, but passionate kiss.

Declaring openly for all to hear, the pair gave their response. "Hell yeah, we wanna be a part of this!" they said in unison.

Cyrus nodded. "Perfect. Now I just need to wake Walter up" he said, "And our final battle can finally reach its conclusion".

 **Chapter 46 End**

 **Next Chapter; Climax**

 **(In more ways than one ^^)**


	49. Chapter 47 - Climax

**Chapter 47 – Climax**

 **Natsu POV**

After Gray and I answered his questions, Cyrus went quite for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, or doing something, I couldn't tell which because of the blindness that Gray and I were now stuck with. After a moment, the Script mage's voice rang out. "Perfect. Now I just need to wake Walter up" he said. I frowned confusedly, although I couldn't see, using my sense of smell and hearing I could gauge my surroundings pretty well, at least a little better than Gray, who had just held my hand and let me lead, with a little instruction from Lucy and Erza. "Wake Walter up?" I questioned aloud.

Upon arriving I could _smell_ Walter, but I figured it must have been because he was fighting nearby. It was only when Lucy fell about squealing and asking 'why Walter was naked' that I realised he must be here with us, albeit unconscious since no sarcastic comment came back from Lucy's squeal. Now Cyrus confirmed what I had guessed earlier, and with his response I understood what was going on around us. "Yes Natsu, Walter's here, but he's not awake. We need him to consciously use his code so we need him awake" Cyrus explained, whilst he appeared to be working on a spell, judging from the scent of magic that drifted over from his position. As Cyrus replied, I felt Gray grip my hand a little. Turning my head in his direction I lowered my voice.

"Are you okay Gray?" I asked, trying to avoid the others hearing our conversation. Gray made a slight mumbling sound.

"Yeah… I'm just…" he trailed off. I smiled to myself, since Gray could not see my smile I tried to make my tone convey my feelings.

"You're just _what_?" I asked in a low, purring tone.

I felt Gray's shoulder's sag. "I'm just… a little worried… I mean… everything's riding on us" he whispered. I smiled broader hearing his concerns.

"You're worried about that? But when does everything _not_ ride on us?" I replied with as much confidence as I could muster. Gray's reply came from the lessening of his grip before it came from his mouth. "Okay… I guess that's true" he chuckled slightly. A moment later a loud yelp was heard from near Cyrus' position; it appeared that Walter was awake.

/

 **General POV**

Cyrus nodded, looking to Natsu and Gray for a moment. A smile flickered across his features. "Perfect. Now I just need to wake Walter up" he said aloud, before moving over to the still-naked, but unconscious, Requip mage.

Blake stood aside as Cyrus made his way over to Walter's head, standing before his friend with faintly amused smile upon his face. Lucy and Erza watched with intrigue on their features as the brunette flicked his sleeve, catching the pen that slid out, and writing in the air. Cyrus divided his attention between focusing on the spell he was writing and observing Natsu and Gray. Lucy and Erza seemed so focused on him that neither of them saw or heard the quiet exchange of words the two mates shared, however Cyrus could read lips. With a slight chuckle to himself, Cyrus finished the spell, its runes glowing to life as soon as they were finished.

Sliding the pen back into his sleeve, the Script mage clicked his fingers. "Blue Script; Icy Drizzle" he commanded. The blue runes flashed upon activation and quickly dispersed into the air, an ice-blue mist forming above Walter's form. After a moment, the mist condensed, getting thicker and thicker until it looked like a small grey cloud. Then it began to rain on Walter.

The water seemed to have its effect, as only a moment later Walter jumped up, wide awake. "Wha!" he cried out as he was rapidly forced from asleep to awake. Looking around the Requip mage seemed confused. He turned to Cyrus for answers, as usual. "Cyrus, what the fuck was that? Now is not the time to be soaking me… I coulda caught a cold" Walter complained bitterly. Cyrus smirked.

"Well I needed to wake you up, and I know what you're like to even try to wake so I figured this way was… more amusing" he replied, before looking Walter up and down. "By the way Walter, aren't you cold?" he added. Walter frowned for a moment in confusion, before looking around.

"Well, you did use freezing cold water on me… so yeah" he huffed, "Oh… and I see Lucy and the others are here now" Walter added a moment later. The blonde Celestial Spirit mage gave a faint wave, before covering her mouth to hide her big grin. Walter took in the blonde's strange actions, and then saw how beet-red Erza looked beside her and it finally clicked into place. Looking down at himself, Walter gave a slight smirk, before looking up again. "Fuck!" he cursed. That comment alone seemed to finish Lucy off, as she began laughing, Erza chuckling right alongside her. Walter scowled and turned to Cyrus once more; the Script mage had been busy preparing a magic circle whilst Walter was getting to grips with the situation. Blake stood a little farther away tending to an unconscious Damien. "When the fuck did you make me a peep show Cyrus?!" the teen barked with annoyance. Cyrus didn't even look up from his work as he replied.

"Since Blake and I deactivated your Styx. We kinda had to stop your heart for that, sorry" he said. Walter frowned.

"Well I figured you'd try something like that… that's why I never bothered to mention it when we designed our 'last resort' strategies, because it'd kind of defy the meaning of the term LAST resort" Walter mumbled in embarrassment. "Regardless…" he began, before a flash of light engulfed his person, "We have bigger problems right now" he finished, standing now in an emerald green suit jacket, with light green shirt and dark green waistcoat, trousers and shoes. Cyrus nodded.

"The Codex has headed away from us for the time being, if we want to do this, we gotta do it now" he said with a more serious tone of voice. Walter nodded in semi-understanding.

"Before you knocked me out you said you needed all of the codes, but without Damien's code we can't use 'em properly" Walter stated. Cyrus sighed.

"Look, basically we're gonna use Natsu and Gray's bond to substitute for Damien's lost code of bonding, okay?" the Script mage sounded more impatient than anyone present had ever heard him before. "However, time is of the essence. Once I finish this magic circle to link up our powers with those two, we're going to have to use Natsu and Gray… and our codes… to try to create the only thing possible of stopping the Codex Beast" Cyrus added. Walter nodded, with his friend's determination clear in his voice, the Requip mage thought it best to trust in his, and Damien's, judgement and try this method. _If not he could always use his powers again_ , he reasoned.

"So, are you two okay with this?" Walter asked Natsu and Gray, who seemed to just be listening to everyone. The pair nodded in unison.

"We're okay with it" Gray said.

Natsu grinned. "Plus… Dragon Slayers always like to show off their mates, and I can't think of a better way than _this_ " the pinkette grinned, earning a slight tap from Gray.

Walter watched the pair's interaction, their complete lack of fear despite what they were about to do, and for some strange reason it made him think of Damien. _If only he had just moved on_ Walter thought wistfully for a moment, before Cyrus's voice chimed up.

"Right, it's ready!" he called. Natsu and Gray looked to each other, their blindness no longer a barrier as the two maintained their hand-holding.

"Ready Gray?" Natsu asked.

The Ice mage nodded. "Sure Natsu" he replied, before leaning in for one last kiss with the Dragon Slayer.

A few minutes later the two were seated together in one corner of the magic circle, with Walter, Cyrus and Blake in the others. "When I say start, you two activate your codes, and then Natsu and Gray… you're gonna have to think of something, the same thing, at the same time. Got that?" Cyrus instructed. The pair frowned for a moment, before their faces lit up.

"You thinking about the same thing as me, Gray?" Natsu asked. The Ice mage smiled.

"You know I am Natsu. Let's do this" Gray replied. Cyrus nodded.

"Alright. Start!" the brunette barked.

/

At Cyrus' commands, everyone did as they were instructed. Walter's eyes turned from his softer orbs, to the harder inhumane ones of his code-personality. Cyrus' glowed faintly as he activated his own code, and Blake's became soft, loving and gentle as his code was summoned forth. With the activation of the three powers the magic circle came to life, and moments later a vast pillar of magic energy began rising up. "Right, Natsu and Gray, now is the time to focus your thoughts…" Cyrus stated.

The pair nodded, and screwed their blinded eyes shut. "Gray…" Natsu called out as the spell began rising up higher into the air.

"What is it Natsu?" the raven-haired mage asked.

"Do you… do you think we could…" Natsu's voice was cut out as the spell began making an inordinate noise.

"Say that louder Natsu!" Gray called out.

Natsu's blushed. "Do you think we could go somewhere after this… kind of like a… honeymoon?" the pinkette asked. Gray seemed taken aback by the question for a moment, however a smile settled onto his features.

"Yeah, sure Natsu" he said, "Just… let's do this first" he added. Natsu nodded.

"Okay… should we call out or something?" he asked. Gray shrugged.

"I don't know, let's try" he said, "On the count of three… one…"

"Two three" Natsu finished quickly earning a smirked from Gray. "There's only one thing I need to think about when it comes to you Gray, a big and strong dragon that needs to protect you" Natsu shouted. Gray smirked widely.

"Well there's only one thing I need to think about when it comes to you, Natsu, a big dumb dragon that needs someone to protect it from its own stupidity" Gray replied with a slightly cocky tone. Natsu frowned.

"Hey!" he barked, however he was quickly shushed by Cyrus.

"It's working… the pillar is reforming into something. You two did it!" he grinned. Natsu and Gray looked to each other as they heard the news. Their grins were plastered all over their faces.

Sure, enough a gigantic dragon of ice, with flames dancing around within, solidified in the area above the five mages; The embodiment of Natsu and Gray's mating bond had arrived. Now the Dream of Love would fight the Codex Beast, and hopefully win.

/

The Codex beast stomped around, it's many eyes desperately searching for the three code-holders. "Damn it!" It roared loudly in frustration. Not only had the three managed to evade it, but they had managed to take is only play-thing with them. "I will find them and when I do-" the creature stopped its search dead. A distance away, on the other side of the large pit that had been formed by the previous fights, a bright glow had begun to rise up. "Ah ha… they seek to try another spell against me, eh?" the Codex Beast licked its monstrous, lizard lips. "Well they shall fail… I'm going to crush them all" it said, beginning to charged towards the bright light. "I will crush them, _kill_ them and then take their codes. They will pay for making a mockery of me and then I will become a god!" it chattered, before another voice made it stop in its tracks.

"You will not do ANYTHING to them!" it roared. Looking around in confusion for the source of the voice, the Codex landed its eyes upon the bright glow before it.

"What are you gonna do to stop me?" it inquired with an amused tone. The light seemed to solidify as the Codex spoke to it. After a moment, it took shape, and the Codex Beast stood face-to-face with a large dragon, made of thick ice, but with an inner fire visible beneath its surface. "A dragon?!" the Codex spluttered.

"No. We are not a dragon, but we _are_ gonna _slay_ you" the Dragon said, in a very cocky tone. The Codex seemed more confused by the statement than afraid. It was only when it looked down to the source of the creature that it realised what had happened.

"The Dragonslayer and his mate… they used their codes to form this thing out of their bonds?" the Codex screeched. The Dragon laughed; whilst Natsu and Gray were blind on the ground, as soon as the Dragon had solidified, the two seemed to be able to both speak and see through the creature's eyes and mouth. Now they used the Dragon's mouth to utter nothing but venomous taunts towards the Codex in an effort to destroy it in spirit before they finally destroyed it in body. The Codex did not take to kindly to the Dragon's harsh laughter and judging glare. "I am the Codex, you do not frighten me, _lizard_ " it hissed.

"Don't act so tough, we've fought scarier things than you. Plus, who are you to call us a lizard, when you're a lizard yourself" the Dragon retorted. The Codex scowled, narrowing its eyes upon its opponent.

"I am no lizard, I am a _god_!" it barked. The Dragon laughed again, this time more out of amusement.

"We'll see about that. You ready for this Gray?" it asked. After a moment, another voice came from the creature's mouth. "Yes Natsu" it said, "Let's show him our real power".

Back on the ground the real Natsu and Gray were standing, their hands still conjoined. Cyrus, Blake and Walter were all standing around them, a final line of defense should the Codex decide to try to crush them, literally, before the next attack could be made. "You two only have a few minutes, you gotta make this count" Walter said. The two mates nodded.

"It's fine, we're only gonna need a minute, right Gray?" Natsu said confidently. Gray nodded.

"Right. Let's do it!" he said, before beginning to charge up his magic. Natsu did so two, and a moment later, the two unleashed their most powerful spell _ever_.

"Fire Dragon-" Natsu started.

"Ice Devil-" Gray continued.

"ROAR!"

"BELLOW!" they both finished. With the unleashing of their spells both mages collapsed, hugging each other close. "Let's hope that worked" Gray said to Natsu. The pinkette nodded, resting his head on his mate's shoulder. "Yeah…" he mumbled in reply.

/

The Codex saw the two mages fire off their spells, however nothing happened. No flames, nor any ice erupted forth. Turning its head back to the Dragon it smirked wickedly. "It seems your spells have failed, and now… it's time for you to die" it said, raising its clawed arms up to point them towards the group of mages. "With one last Shadow Make spell I'll end you" it stated.

"Oh really?" the Dragon replied, echoing the thoughts of both Gray and Natsu simultaneously.

The Codex whirled. "What?!" it demanded.

The Dragon opened its maw. "It took a few seconds but… here it is… the ultimate spell of love and bonding. Dream of Love; Frozen Flame Demonic Dragon-Burst" the creature said in a way-too-over-the-top manner. The Codex raised its giant eyebrows in surprise, before realisation hit it; this was an actual threat. As the Beast turned to dodge, the flames grew within the giant ice-lizard's maw, growing brighter and hotter, before turning icy blue and finally erupting forth as a great vertical pillar, striking the Codex square in the face before it had the chance to escape. Rapidly the flames overtook more of the lizard-like creature's form, burning away in icy fire all of the magical energy that the creature had stolen to make this body. The Codex died screaming and writhing in agony, until soon nothing was left of the creature save its core, however that still was not spared from the attack. With blue flames engulfing the core of the codex, it found itself not burning, but rather freezing, and soon the very essence of the Codex itself fell to the earth in a giant ice-cube, shattering into a million pieces from the impact.

Cyrus, Walter, Blake and all the others, watched on a hill of rubble, whilst Natsu and Gray cuddled together still blind at the magic circle. They did not need to see the scene, however, for they had seen it through the eyes of the Dragon above which was still linked to their minds. Soon the Dragon too faded, and everything was peaceful… for a few moments, anyways.

/

 **A little while later**

Makarov and the others were found by Virgo, whom Lucy had sent out to inform them of their position. As the group of mages awaited rescue, Walter, Cyrus and Blake stood quietly by themselves, Damien's body bound next to them. The three had succeeded in completing their mission, however now they finally needed some time to grieve. They had lost a brother, and a lot more than that it seemed, so whilst Natsu and Gray rested in each other's arms, Lucy and Erza set about bringing the other unconscious forms of Laxus, Wendy, Carla and Gajeel to the others so that they would all be in one place when help arrives.

"So… what are you going to do now?" Natsu and Gray asked, as silence settled over the five wizards. Walter looked up at the blinded mates.

"I don't… know. _We_ don't know" he said, "the plan _always_ was to defeat Damien at all costs, but none of us expected to _survive_ this fight. We don't know _what_ to do now" the Requip mage explained.

Natsu frowned. "Why didn't you plan on living?" he asked. Walter sighed.

"We decided that when, or if, we won, we were going to kill ourselves and remove all traces of the Codex from this world forever, however… _you_ _two_ killed the Codex, defeated one of its codes and destroyed it wholly. We don't need to do what we planned now, because of what you did. You saved our lives" Walter stated this fact with more of a matter-of-fact tone than of any form of thankfulness.

Gray smiled. "I guess we did more than we thought, eh Natsu" the Ice mage stated, nudging Natsu's head with his shoulder. The pinkette nodded. Walter watched the exchange with faint amusement, before he looked to Damien's body.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the mages for a few moments. Eventually it was broken by Gray.

"So, what happened to Damien?" the Ice mage asked.

Walter frowned for a moment, thankful that the two could not see his face. "When the Codex was destroyed, it took with it all of Damien's magic. Even if he was alive, no mage could survive having all their magic drained like that" he stated with a flat tone. Gray went quiet. Walter registered what the raven-haired mage was thinking and shook his head. "Don't worry, you didn't kill him. I said _if_ he was alive, he might have been killed when he used that spell to free the Codex…" Walter said, trying to reassure Gray. This did not help.

"It's a shame, at least some part of him was able to help us in the end though" Cyrus tried to cheer them up. Like Walter's attempt, this failed miserably. After another uncomfortable silence, Walter sagged his shoulders and sighed loudly.

"I just wish I could've found out _why_ he did all this. I mean, the Codex couldn't have possessed him without using some kind of incentive… right?" the Requip mage asked aloud. Neither Cyrus nor Blake, or Gray or Natsu, had a response for the teens statement. They all just stayed silent.

Until another voice gave an answer. "If you want to know, I'll… tell you…" it said, making everyone jump up with sudden fright, preparing for some hidden attack. None came, and they all turned in time to see Damien smirking up at them, impossibly, for the second time that hour.

/

"D-d… Dame?" Walter stuttered with surprise as the teen eyed up his ex-comrade. The Maker mage smiled.

"Yes… I'm still alive" Damien said, his voice hinting at faint amusement despite his deep breaths.

"You're alive?" Cyrus chirped up in shock; both the Script mage, and the Elixir mage were sure that the boy they once called fried was dead. Damien chuckled slightly, before coughing violently in a fit.

"Yes Cyrus… although… not for much longer… I think" Damien stated. Walter bit his lower lip as he looked upon their enemy-come-friend.

"You mean you're gonna die then?" he asked, his voice empty, like he was trying desperately to crush the feelings that had come bubbling up to the surface. Damien nodded faintly; his body movement wasn't just weak, but restricted also by the magically-treated bonds that bound him.

"Yes, sorry Walter, but I can only talk for a bit…" Damien smiled, "Although, I think… it might take more time than I've got to apologise to you all" he added with a slightly downcast expression. Walter shook his head.

"You don't need to… now that we understand, the Codex was controlling you, right?" Walter asked. Damien chuckled again.

"Well… you're half-right" he said, earning vague and confused looks by all present. "You see… I sort of allowed it to control me… I let it take over" Damien explained, before his eyes wandered over to the mated pair a short distance away. Natsu almost seemed to feel the Maker mages eyes on him and his mate, and as the pinkette shifted uneasily, Damien took in the pairs vague-looking eyes. "I see the two heroes have been blinded" Damien stated aloud. Natsu sniffed the air.

"Are you talkin' about us?" he asked with a slightly over-protective tone in his voice; the Fire mage was uneasy that the three mages of the Triplet Code were allowing their supposed enemy to speak, however as he knew their history he could understand, somewhat at least.

Damien smiled at the pinkette's reply, although Natsu could not see this. "Yes I am talking about… you two" he said, before looking to Walter. "You didn't heal them?" he asked the Requip mage. The teen looked in surprise.

" _I_ can heal it? I thought we agreed Blake was going to do it?" Walter said in surprise, looking from Cyrus to Blake for agreement. They both nodded, which made Damien laugh aloud.

"You three never were great at thinking outside the box" he mused, "Luckily… I was. Yes you can heal them Walter, just… use that special trick I showed you when we were younger" Damien explained, his tone trying to prompt the Requip mage to think. Walter gave a puzzled look for a moment, before his eyes lit up.

"I forgot about that" he said, before calling up his last reserves of magic power. "Requip; Apothecaries Master" he called out, before a bright flash of light swapped out his green suit jacket and clothing for a white lab-style coat and matching white gloves, shirt, trousers and shoes. Walking over to the pair, Walter examined them for a moment. "So I just do… this…" he said, raising his arms up so that each of his outstretched palms hovered a few inches in the air above both Natsu and Gray, "Then… I activate the sequence in reverse… and…" a bright glow formed around each of Walter's hands. As it did, he began to lower them so that they rested on Natsu and Gray's heads. After a moment, the glow dispersed and Walter withdrew back to standing beside Damien, Cyrus and Blake.

Natsu blinked a few times experimentally as the spell began to have its effect. As soon as he did, he looked to Gray, the pair of them wore big grins on their faces. "I can see!" they cried in unison. Cyrus almost sweat dropped at the reaction.

"How…?" he questioned aloud.

Damien chuckled. "With a little rearranging, the healing spell on those gloves works wonders" he stated, "however… I'm afraid that's all I can do… the effects won't last, so Blake _will_ need to fix them properly later" Damien added. Blake nodded, giving a quick hand gesture to signal his understanding.

"Why would you help us now, though?" Gray questioned, as the now sight-able pair stood to join the four mages.

Damien smiled. "Because… well… I don't want the last thing I do to be something evil. And because I also regret…" he trailed off before he finished his sentence.

Walter and the others all turned to look directly at Damien. "You said you were going to explain what you did, right?" Walter prompted. Damien nodded.

"Well… I said I wasn't possessed by the Codex, and that is again half-true… however it was also because, in doing all of this, I wanted to do something that I thought was right… although now I see it wasn't" Damien blathered. Walter furrowed his brows.

"What was your goal Damien, if not god-hood?" Walter asked. Damien shrugged.

"I admit I aimed to become a god, but not for the reasons you think…" Damien paused, a coughing fit preventing him from speaking for a few moments. When he could speak again, he continued, knowing full well that he didn't have long left to explain everything. "All I wanted to do…" Damien started "all I ever wanted to do was to… bring back my parents, _our_ parents".

Walter, Cyrus and Blake all gave looks of confusion. Natsu and Gray looked to each other, intrigue, but equally confused, by this revelation. "I thought your parents were… killed… right?" Gray asked carefully. Walter nodded, answering his inquiry, however it was Damien that spoke.

"I see you have finally decided to tell people… well done Walter" Damien stated his voice level, although fading, "However… I can never atone for the things I've done. I always figured if I did succeed it wouldn't matter as… I would be able to undo it as a god. I betrayed you all, I tried to… kill you all… and worst… I was foolishly led on by that… by that…" Damien was cut off once more by another coughing fit, one much worse than his others.

Walter was by his side instantly, holding onto the Maker mage tightly. "It's okay… we understand now…" Walter stated, holding Damien close. The Maker mage whimpered.

"Walter he's…" Cyrus began, but stopped before he was finished by Blake's hand to his shoulder. The silent mage shook his head.

"I'm… sorry" Damien said, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. "I can only… apologise now… bu-t… Damn… Walt… it looks like… our time's… my time's… u…p…" he added, before Damien's eyes closed. Walter jumped back in shock.

Tears fell freely down the Requip mage's cheeks. "Damien…" he breathed heavily. "Damn it… I never got to tell you…" he cut himself off before he finished. "I need to be alone" he said, before beginning to walk off. Cyrus and Blake watched him go, Natsu and Gray stood silently.

It wasn't long after that the rescue party, led by Sting and Rogue, found the group of mages. As they were being led away, towards a hidden stairwell uncovered from the rubble, Natsu turned to look towards Damien's body one last time. Walter, Cyrus and Blake intended to stay behind to bury him, however Natsu… Natsu just smiled faintly.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I woke to white sheets and the scent of clean, sterile air. "Mmmgn…" I moaned, breathing in the annoying scent and shifting uncomfortably. "G'morning… Gray…" I added a moment later reaching out for my mate in the bed, only to find no one there. "Hm?" I muttered, opening my eyes fully and looking around. It was only when I did this that I remembered everything that happened. "Oh yeah… we were brought to the infirmary and then…" Natsu frowned. "Did I pass out?" he voiced.

"Yeah, you went out like a light. Didn't even give me a good-night kiss, some mate you are" Gray answered cockily from his own bed opposite mine in the infirmary room. I frowned at him.

"Humph" I pouted. Gray cocked his head, a bright smile on his face. I could only keep my pout up for a few minutes, before I gave in and kicked the white sheets off of me, standing up with my own grin on my face. "So, I take it I fell asleep when we were travelling last night?" I asked Gray, coming over to his bed and sitting down. The raven-haired mage nodded.

"Yeah. You were feeling sick, remember… then you leaned in to me, saying my scent helped to relieve your motion sickness and then… well… you snored the whole way back to Magnolia" Gray smiled. I pouted and crossed my arms.

"Well sorry I'm such a burden to you then" I stated huffily, before another memory flitted across my mind. "What did everyone else do?" I asked, trying to push the intruding thought aside for a moment.

Gray shrugged. "I didn't get any sleep on the way back, so I just carried you in here, tucked you in and then passed out in this bed opposite" he answered, "Blake seems to have already been in and administered our treatment for blindness though, Porlyusica came in earlier and told me he had. Man was she grumpy, well… more than usual. Seems like she was having to treat the others too" Gray added on. I nodded in understanding, before deciding to ask the other thing I had thought of.

Gray seemed to read my thoughts as his body stiffened a little as I pushed him back onto the bed and lay down beside him, with my face close to his I could talk quietly but still make sure he heard me. "How was Walter?" I asked. Gray frowned for a moment, before responding.

"He… he was upset, more than Cyrus and Blake. No one's seen him since last night" he said with a slightly shallower tone. "Oh… but Cyrus has been in too. He came in about half an hour ago, _you_ were still asleep, so he gave me the run down. Seems that spell we used, the super big dragon one, used up a lot of our magic power, but other than that we're fine" Gray stated. I nodded.

"Anything else that I missed?" I asked. The Ice mage shrugged.

"Everyone wanted to see us, and ask us about what happened, however… I told them to wait until you were awake properly first. I knew if you woke up to a load of questions you'd get mad so…" Gray trailed off. I smirked slightly and leaned in a little closer.

"Always thinking of me, snowflake" I said, before giving him a short kiss. Gray accepted the kiss, and began slowly sliding his hands down my head to my shoulders. He stopped there though, not going any lower despite the fact I was shirtless and with very little on down below too. "Natsu…" he said, pushing me away a little. I wrapped an arm around his waist, but stopped kissing Gray.

"What is it?" I asked calmly, although a flicker of annoyance passed through my chest at having to stop.

Gray chuckled. "Everyone's right outside the door, we can't do it here" he said. I smirked and turned my head towards the door. Sure enough, I could smell Lucy, Erza, Lyon, and a couple of others standing outside in the corridor. "They've been there since this morning. I told them not to come in in case it woke you up" Gray explained. I nodded.

"Well… let's go tell 'em I'm awake… then perhaps you and me can go find somewhere more _private_ to… continue our discussion" I stated. Gray blushed slightly, before nodding. Taking my hand, we both walked over to the infirmary door together; our first act as open mates within the guild hall.

/

 **A little while later**

After having a short meeting with everyone, Gray and I had been dragged off by Mira to go speak with Makarov and the other Guildmasters. It seemed that they knew less about what Walter was up to as we did, so we explained all we could, leaving out a few details just to avoid spilling anything 'private' that Walter may have said in the last moment of Damien's life, before we left to head off to Gray's apartment.

Once we were inside, Gray and I sighed heavy breaths. "That was… intense. Not just having to have _done_ all that, but go over it again…" Gray stated. I nodded.

"Yeah. Still can't believe that we didn't just beat Anger, but Joy _and_ the Codex too" I stated, "We make a pretty damn good team". Gray smirked.

"Yeah… now… how about we go take our minds off of all that for now and… continue our earlier conversation" Gray stated. I smirked back at Gray with a lewd smile.

"That desperate, eh… popsicle?" I asked with a cocky tone of voice. Gray frowned suddenly at my statement.

"Why do you always do that?" he stated. I frowned.

"Do what?" I asked. Gray gestured at me, before pulling me closer to him as he leaned against the front door to his apartment.

"Do _that_ , with the nicknames. You call me 'snowflake' sometimes, but then you _always_ call me 'popsicle' when we're in… you know… _certain types of situations_ " he stated. I heard his question, and then shrugged.

"I guess that I call you snowflake because you're so cool and pretty like a snowflake, but then… in those 'certain situations' I guess I'm thinking about… popsicles… in some way" I stated, earning a sigh from Gray. "However… if you don't wanna be called popsicle I could call you something else instead" I added after a moment.

Gray looked at me with suspicion. "Call me what?" he asked.

I grinned. "How about I call you… _mine_ " I said with a slight chuckle. Gray smirked and leaned in close, so that his lips where millimeters from mine.

"Call me whatever you want, just know… I'm already _yours_ Natsu, and I'm gonna stay like that forever" he said. I smiled and leaned in those extra few millimeters.

"Alright… popsicle" I breathed into the kiss, before pushing Gray more roughly against the door. Gray let himself be shoved, and soon it wasn't against the door that he was being pushed towards, but rather his bed.

/

Gray landed on the bed with a creak of protest from the bedsprings. I landed on top of him a few moments later, my waist-coat already discarded. Gray had been shirtless since he had awoken, and now it wasn't just his shirt he was missing, but his trousers too, as I pulled them off of him with great speed. "N-natsu…" Gray breathed as I kissed him roughly.

"Mghnnn…" I moaned into the kiss as my hands glided over Gray's muscular torso. The Ice mage was just too hot right now, and whilst it had only been about four days since we had last fucked, back at the bathhouse that Sting and Rogue invited us to, and all that suppressed lust was beginning to finally bubble up inside of me. Gray seemed to be experiencing something similar, as he was rock hard from the get-go, which made me smile even broader. "Come on… Gray…" I panted, as we stopped kissing from a moment. The Ice mage smiled up at me.

"Get naked then" he said back. I shrugged.

"I could… but first I wanna try something…" I replied, earning a confused look from the dark-haired mage. Before he could ask what it was that I wanted to try, I rocked my hips roughly against his underwear-clad member, eliciting the most perfect moan from his throat.

"Agh… Natsu…" he breathed. I smiled down at him with a predatory grin.

"I'm gonna see how far I can drive you before you _beg_ me to fuck you, Gray" I stated. The raven-haired mage didn't reply, or rather couldn't as I rocked my hips twice more against him, earning another bout of moans. This method of pleasuring wasn't without its perks for me either, although I wasn't going to ruin the mood by moaning. _Yet_.

After grinding my hips against Gray's groin a few more times, I began to lean in and kiss along his neck, nipping at the soft skin there and suckling on a few good spots. Each action I did made Gray moan louder in my ears, and with each moan I began growing more heated, thinking or acting out more methods which could further this heated session. After tormenting Gray's neck, I moved lower, suckling on one of his nipples, swirling the pink bud around with my tounge and nipping it slightly with my teeth. After that I began nipping at Gray's ears, whilst whispering stuff I _knew_ would get the Ice mage 'fired up'.

With one particularly loud moan from Gray, however, I found that my fun had to be cut short, lest I lose my own self-control completely. "Aghh… ahh… AGH!" Gray moaned as I began kissing him once more, my rocking ceasing shortly after. When we broke apart again, I sat up, looking down at the half-naked mage beneath me with a great smirk of satisfaction; the Ice mage looked the most disheveled I had ever seen him.

"That's a… really hot look on you" I breathed. Gray nodded weakly, all the breath seemed to have left his body after that little bit of 'fun', however the main event was still to come. "I don't think I can wait for long though… and I really wanna top so… can we just do this?" I asked him. Surprisingly, Gray did not nod submissively as I expected, instead he gave a heavily panted head shake.

"I… I'm gonna… make sure you're slicked" he grinned. Seeing his lustful smile, I found I couldn't say no. Instead I just hurriedly removed my pants and underwear, before moving back, so Gray could shift position. The Ice mage did so with his own sense of urgency, removing his own underwear as he shifted. _Heh… he's super desperate too_ I laughed internally, as Gray went from laying down beneath me, to being on all fours in front.

The Ice mage looked up at me, and as our eyes met he began to take my own member into his mouth. I mewled slightly as I felt Gray tease the tip of my cock with his tongue, before licking a stripe along the length. "Ahh…" I moaned as the Ice mage began licking and teasing my cock. Gray continued for a few moments, however soon I found that my lust could not be held back any more, and I began to wrap and curl my fingers in the dark locks of my mate. As Gray felt me grip his head, he looked up, and realised what I wanted to do. Eyes glittering with consent, Gray prepared for what was to come; I smirked wickedly, before thrusting my cock into Gray's awaiting mouth. "Hah… Haaa…" I panted as I rocked my hips forward, into the moist cavern of Gray's mouth. The Ice mage moaned a little at the action himself, and as I looked down, I saw him reaching for his own member to stroke it. Laughing, I began to thrust my hips a few times, each time getting deeper into Gray's throat, before rising up to delve in again. "Fu-ck… fff… uck…" I groaned as my aching cock was greeted by the warmth of Gray's mouth, and the sensuousness of his tongue; I realised I couldn't hold out for long, and soon I was thrusting in a little more irrhythmically into Gray's mouth. The Ice mage was also moaning loudly beneath me, each vibration from his throat tempting me closer to my climax. I almost gave in, however one shred of control remained in my mind, and soon I grabbed Gray's head a little roughly and gave him one last long, deep thrust. As I felt my balls rest against the raven-haired mages chin, I withdrew from Gray's mouth, and grabbed the Ice mage, flipping him over so that he was on his back. Gray looked up in surprise at me, however I didn't give him much time to react as I took his hand forcefully away from his member, and pinned both of his arms above his head, kissing him roughly.

"N… atsu…" Gray breathed into the kiss. I drew back to allow us to catch our breaths.

"Sorry… I just had… had to stop. I don't wanna come into your mouth Gray" I said with as much of an apologetic tone as I could. The Ice mage smiled.

"It's okay… I want you to fuck me, and I really don't care how. In my mouth, or in my ass… they're both _yours_ now, remember?" he said. I smiled.

"Hah… I guess you're right… so…" I drifted off as I pushed Gray down into pillows, my mouth locked with his once again, but this time with a lot less force. "Let's fuck" I breathed. Gray nodded.

"Okay… you don't need to waste any more time" he stated. I frowned for a moment.

"Y'sure… I can still prep you" I stated. Gray shook his head.

"Like you'd ever hurt me, fireball" he replied. I smirked.

"You're gonna regret that cockiness, coz now I'm gonna make sure you can't even walk" I said, before leaning in and locking lips with Gray for a final time, before lining up my cock to Gray's entrance. Without breaking the kiss, I pressed the tip to Gray's hole, before smiling predatorily. _Mine_ I thought, before thrusting my length inside.

"AAAAH!" Gray cried out; I looked down at the ice mage with worry instantly.

"Are you okay, did I hurt you?" I asked. Gray shook his head.

"No… I just wasn't expecting you to put it _all_ in from the start" he replied, giving me a slight smile to show that he wasn't upset.

I smiled back. "Do… you want a minute?" I asked. It was taking all my control not to just start thrusting, however I would wait if asked by my mate.

Gray shook his head. "You can start. I'll be fine" he stated, "Besides, I know you Natsu, and I can tell that you're as close as I am right now" he added, running his fingers through my hair. I smirked back, before leaning in and kissing Gray sweetly. The Ice mage kissed me back, and as our kiss began to deepen, I slowly began pulling out, only to shove my cock back in with a little more care this time. Gray didn't shout out at the reduced pace, and as we kissed I began to feel the heat rise in my chest again. _Not yet_ I thought, _Make it last…_

I could hold onto that promise for about ten seconds, as soon Gray and I were back to passionately making out, whilst I was thrusting rhythmically in and out of my mate. "Ah… Gray…" I moaned, as I kissed along the raven-haired man's neck.

"Natsu…" he moaned back, "I… I'm close".

I nodded and angled my thrusts. _I pushed him really close, then ended up fucking his mouth… if I can just hit that spot then Gray will probably cum…_ I thought. After a few more thrusts I found what I was looking for, as Gray arched his back and cried out loudly. "NATSU… There…" he moaned with a begging tone to his voice. I smirked and began boring down as much as I could onto that same place as I had just hit. After a few more thrusts I was close to my limit, however Gray was even closer. "Natsu… I'm… gonna cum!" he moaned loudly. I kept my gyrations, however I leaned down and kissed Gray one last time, our tongue's sliding over one another, before Gray rolled his head back on the pillows, calling my name out loudly. "Natsuuuu…!" he moaned, as cum splattered over his chest, covering me as well. I could barely take in the sight as the orgasming Ice mage's walls tightened around my own member.

"Fuck… Gray… I'm go-" I couldn't even finish my sentence before waves of pleasure overtook my body, forcing all my words into moans and gasps. "Ah… Gra…Graaaaay! Fu…ck…" I moaned, shooting my seed into the raven heads ass.

Once my orgasm subsided, I pulled out of Gray, flopping down beside him before wrapping my arms tightly around his chest, uncaring if I got covered by the sticky mess that my mate had shot over himself. "I love you" I said with a loving tone. Gray chuckled.

"I love you too Natsu" he replied, before running a hand through my pink locks. "But… how about we clean-up" he added. I shook my head.

"Don't wanna" I replied. Gray continued chuckling.

"Fine, I guessed you'd say that. Just don't forget that later we've gotta get down to the guild, since there's that celebration and everything" Gray stated. I nodded, before closing my eyes and taking in Gray's scent, mixed with and amplified by the strong scent of sex that hung in the air.

"Okay…" I yawned, before dozing off into a comfortable sleep.

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu fell asleep quite quickly after sex, this fact did not surprise me. I, on the other hand, couldn't get to sleep at all. My mind was still troubled by something; the smile Natsu gave when we walked away from Damien back at the hideout. _That wasn't a glad smile, or an angry smile… it was like… when he would play a trick on someone, like when he knows something. So, what didn't he tell us?_ I thought carefully. As I thought this I looked down to the sleeping form of my mate, his pink hair splayed across the pillow beside me like his own unique halo. I gave a soft smile.

"Cute as always…" I whispered. Natsu murmured in his sleep, but nothing that was even vaguely comprehensible. "I guess I could ask him" I added to myself.

"Mgm… mi…muh" Natsu mumbled, off into some fantasy somewhere. Watching Natsu sleep I decided it would be best to leave the topic of his smile until later, at least until after the party later. _I guess we should get some clothes for it… Natsu doesn't keep any here and I doubt he'll want to wear anything I've got_ I thought, before yawning myself.

"I guess it can wait until later. First I think I'm gonna join pinky in some dreams" I said, before resting my head against Natsu's. The scent of Natsu quickly sent me off to sleep equally as fast as the Dragon Slayer himself had fallen unconscious.

/

 **A few hours later**

"You're sure about this Natsu?" I asked, as we walked through the streets of Magnolia hand-in-hand. The pinkette nodded.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked. I pouted.

"I don't know… I guess I just figured you wouldn't actually take me up on my offer and wear _my_ clothes" I said. When the two of us woke up from our nap, the time was much later than we had expected and after a quick debate, Natsu had agreed to put on one of my shirts and trousers, along with an older pair of shoes I had lying around the place, before we headed off to the guild. Whilst I was happy the Dragon Slayer had been so understanding, it was completely unexpected, and as we approached the guild I became increasingly worried that the pinkette would be embarrassed about not only walking the entire distance holding hands, but also wearing my clothing. Natsu, however, had no qualms about any of this, and soon I realised that it was just me overreacting.

As we rounded the corner to be on the same street as the guild, a voice called out to us. "Hey guys!" it called. Looking for the source of the voice, we both noticed Lucy, Erza and Walter running towards us.

"Hi guys" Natsu replied for us. Lucy waved, and noticed immediately Natsu's attire.

"That's new Natsu" she stated. Erza nodded in agreement.

"Never seen you in those before, did you get them today?" she asked. Natsu looked to me, and I blushed.

"N-not quite" I chimed in, "Natsu didn't really have time to go to his house before the party… so he borrowed some of mine" I explained. Walter smirked broadly, a sharp contrast to the last expression I had seen on him; one of sadness and regret.

"Heh, well they suit you very well Natsu" he stated. The teen himself was wearing a blue suit jacket over a pink shirt and blue waistcoat and trousers, along with brown belt and shoes.

Natsu shrugged. "It was just lucky Gray had a load of spares" he stated, before looking behind the trio towards the guild. "Should we go to the guild?" he asked. Walter nodded.

"Yeah… we're gonna have lots of fun tonight to celebrate. After all, you helped free us from the Codex" he stated.

I looked to Gray. "Yeah… although…" I began; however, Walter shook his head and pouted.

"No! Tonight is for celebrating. There will be _no_ sadness, got that?" he stated. I smiled.

"Alright" I nodded "Let's go!"

And with that Gray, Lucy, Walter and I joined in the party.

/

 **General POV, a few hours of partying later**

Walter was busy drinking with Elfman near the bar, Cyrus was quietly hugging the outside of the room, and Blake was enjoying himself along with everyone else when the clock struck midnight. As the bells tolled across town, Walter looked up from his drink and toward his nearest companion; Cyrus. The Script mage nodded. Blake registered their exchange and began making his way over to Cyrus, a smile still on his face. Looking to his drinking buddy, Walter bowed his head apologetically, "I've just got to go get some more to drink" he said, before rushing off out of sight. Elfman barely had time to say a word before the Requip mage vanished.

After a few moments both Blake and Cyrus left too. Watching for Walter coming back, Elfman waited, however after ten minutes, there was no sign of the teen, and the Beast Soul mage became worried. Finding Mirajane, Elfman asked if she had seen Walter, however the waitress, who had been too busy dealing with everyone else, replied that she hadn't. Deciding it best to inform someone, the two Strauss siblings found Makarov. As they relayed the sudden disappearance of the teen, the older mage, as confused as them at the sudden vanishing, called for Natsu and Gray to come over.

"What's up Gramps?" Natsu asked, a tone of confusion in his voice.

Makarov frowned. "Walter left and hasn't come back, do you know where he could have gone?" he asked the pair "After all, this party's as much for them, as for anyone" he added. Gray furrowed his brow in thought.

"No… have you asked Cyrus or Blake?" the Ice mage offered. The Guildmaster shrugged and looked around, however he soon realised that they too had vanished.

"It seems… they disappeared too…" Makarov muttered. Natsu looked to Gray.

"Gray…" he mumbled. The raven haired mage looked to the pinkette confusedly.

"What is it Natsu?" he asked.

"I… I need to speak with you" he stated, before dragging the Ice mage off forcefully to a slightly quieter part of the guild hall. Sting and Cana, who had been drinking together near Makarov, came over to find out what the commotion was about.

When Makarov explained the situation, Cana frowned. "I saw Walter leave the store room a few minutes ago. He was carrying around a really expensive bottle of champagne" the alcoholic stated. Makarov went wide-eyed.

"Really?" he muttered confusedly, before he looked towards Natsu and Gray, who were returning from wherever Natsu had dragged Gray to a moment ago.

"I think… I know where Walter is" Natsu stated, "But we're gonna have to hurry" he added, silencing any questions from the other mages as he led Makarov, Gray and Sting out of the Guildhall. Rogue quickly caught up with them, confused as to why his mate would leave him alone, although Sting explained the situation to him as they walked.

/

 **Meanwhile, in Magnolia's outskirts**

Walter held up the bottle of champagne and three glass as he walked up to his companions. "I got 'em" he said to the two.

Cyrus nodded. "Good. Were you followed?" he asked. Walter shook his head.

"Does it matter if I was, it's not like I'm gonna be running anywhere anymore after this" Walter replied, uncorking the bottle and pouring some into each of the three glasses, before passing them to his companions. "Here's to our future" Walter smirked. Cyrus frowned.

"You still want to make jokes?" the Script mage asked, as Blake produced a vial from his pocket. "Here Blake, add it to them quickly, since we won't have much time if Walter _has_ allowed himself to be followed" Cyrus stated. Blake nodded and poured a few drops of the black liquid contents of the vial into each of the drinks. It dissolved rapidly, without changing the colour or taste of the drink.

Walter sighed. "Why can't I make jokes, I should be able to say what I like on my deathbed" Walter stated to Cyrus as he took his drink back from Blake. The Elixir mage nodded to each of them.

 _This is it_ he signed with his hands, _after this there is no going back._

Cyrus smiled. "Well gentlemen… it looks like the Three Cubed guild is going to be disbanded. Although its loss will mean little to anyone, for the world, its existence will have meant more than anyone will ever know" he stated. Walter smiled at the Script mage's words.

"True. Despite it being against our founding, I can genuinely say I'm happy by this outcome… and at least we were able to make a few friends before we reached our goal… and at least I managed to keep my promise and have fun with them on our last day together" Walter added on. Blake nodded.

 _It was fun, wasn't it_ he signed, _if only Damien could've had fun with us too_.

Walter nodded in agreement with that statement. "Yes, however… maybe we can have fun with him again another time… after tonight" Walter smiled wearily. Cyrus looked at his friend's face for a moment, before softening his own expression.

"Yeah" he agreed softly, one of the few times he'd show true emotion. "However... now it's come to this. How about we have one last cheer to send us off?" the Script mage asked. Walter laughed.

"I never thought I'd ever get to see you say that" Walter mused, "However you're right. One three… one…" Walter began counting.

"Two…" Cyrus continued, before looking to Blake.

The Elixir mage signed the last part. _I couldn't have asked for better friends… so let's do this together…_ he stated. Walter and Cyrus nodded.

"Thr-" they were about to say, raising their glasses up to meet.

"WAIT!" a voice called out from the night-time darkness. The three mages turned in surprise, only to be met with the panting forms of Natsu, Gray, Sting, Rogue, and Makarov.

"You… were gonna… leave… this early" Natsu breathed.

"The party's not… over yet…" Gray added on. Walter frowned at the two.

"Damn it, I thought I told you tonight wasn't going to be sad…" he stated, "I was all prepared to make this one last night happy for everyone, before…" the Requip mage caught his own words. Makarov looked between the three and the glasses in their hands.

"Before you what?" he asked, prying the answer from them. Walter hung his head.

"Before we ended the code… permanently… with our deaths" he admitted. This statement didn't seem to surprise Makarov, or Natsu, or Gray, and it only elicited a little shock from the Sabertooth pair. "You… knew we would do this?" Walter asked. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, I… thought you might, but I hoped you wouldn't" the pinkette stated, "I mean, you said it yourself, we defeated the codex so you don't have to commit suicide" he added on. Walter shook his head.

"It's not just about that… our codes are dangerous and we have to destroy them, this is the only way" the Requip mage explained. Cyrus nodded in concurrence with that statement.

"Yes, we _must_ do this, for the sake of everyone" the Script mage stated. Natsu shrugged.

"And we're not gonna stop you… I just thought… well, what would Damien say about this? Did he not want you three to go on, despite his own death?" the pinkette reasoned. Walter seemed struck by this remark, however he soon recovered, and this time with anger on his features.

"You think you understand everything" he barked abruptly, "You only fought Damien a little, you may have seen his death… however… I… you have no right to say this" he added, stopping himself from saying the one thing he hadn't been able to before Damien's death.

"You loved him" Gray spoke up. Walter's head snapped around to look at the Ice mage.

"Yes, I did, so for what reason _shouldn't_ I kill myself, if not only to see Damien again" Walter growled.

"Not to mention protect the world" Cyrus chimed. Natsu smirked.

"How about this; there's still one thing that Damien _didn't_ tell you… something that only I know, _because_ I saw him die" Natsu stated. Walter raised an eyebrow in question.

"What?" he stated angrily.

Natsu smirked.

/

 **Several days later**

The traveler looked down from the high ledge across a vast and barren land. There was only one thing to mark any sort of human presence; a town. Smirking, the dusty cloaked man began walking down towards the town, a single thought in his mind; _my first stop on a long, long journey_.

Stopping at the large sign that hung over the very frontier-western like setting, the traveler looked up and read the words that fitted him perfectly. "Lost" he said with slight, travel-weary amusement.

"Perfect".

 **Chapter 47 End**

 **Final Chapter; Lost and Found**

 **Author's note; this is the longest chapter I've done in this fic, and I know there was a lot of content. If anyone can guess where the final chapter's headed, feel free to leave a review. I love all of the review's you guys have left already, and I absolutely am astounded by how many favorites and likes this fic has gotten. Thank you all and I hope you enjoyed the penultimate chapter, as well as the chapter to come ^^**


	50. Final Chapter - Lost and Found

**Final Chapter; Lost and Found**

 **Gray POV**

Natsu and I walked through the streets of Magnolia. The sun was high and warm on this beautiful summer's day. "Hey, Natsu" I chirped as we walked hand-in-hand towards the guild.

"What is it Gray?" the Dragon Slayer asked me, a slight look of confusion on his otherwise happy, and adorable, face.

"I was just thinking… doesn't your name mean summer?" I asked with a slight smile. The Fire mage smirked at my question.

"Yup, sure does. Summer's the best season after all" he stated, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. I tapped his shoulder lightly.

"I prefer winter" I stated with a matter-of-fact tone. The pinkette shrugged.

"Figure's you'd be weird like that" he stated, before we were interrupted by another voice.

"You two look like you're having fun" Lucy said, emerging from the pastry shop near the guild with a number of different, delectable-looking items.

I smiled at her as Natsu waved. "Hi Lucy" the Dragon Slayer said.

"Hi Natsu" she replied as she arrived.

I looked at the collection of food-stuffs that the Celestial mage was carrying. "You having a party, or just a really big breakfast?" I asked with an amused nod towards the items. Lucy pouted.

"No. I'm not greedy like you two" she said with a mock-annoyed tone, "Mira just asked me to pick these up, that's all. I think they're for the other Guildmasters who are visiting" she added after a moment. Natsu looked to between Lucy and me for a moment with surprise written plainly all over his face.

"What… who's coming where?" he mumbled with a puzzled pout on his face. I sighed and tapped the pinkette's head.

"The other guilds are coming today, flame brain. Lamia Scale, Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel _and_ Blue Pegasus, don't you remember?" I breathed, "We talked about going on a double date with Juvia and Lyon?" I added, trying to provoke some form of memory in my mate. After a moment, the lights of recognition raised in Natsu's eyes.

"Oh yeah…" he mumbled quietly for a moment, before looking to me, "Do you still wanna do that date thing?" he asked me. I nodded.

"It'd be good to catch up to Lyon, since we haven't since… you know… Walter…" I trailed off. The Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Oh yeah…" he muttered. Lucy looked between us and heaved a sigh.

"Are you two still beating yourselves up over that?" she questioned, "There's nothing you can do, it was his own choice. That's why the guilds are here today though, just checking up to see if the mess has been cleared up from the battle" Lucy added. Natsu and I sighed, before looking up the street towards the guild.

"I guess that means they'll want to speak to us again" I sighed, before a new thought sprung to mind. "Although… if Sting and Rogue are here, as well as Lyon and Juvia, we could make it a triple data instead of a double" I stated, trying to start a slightly more upbeat train fo thought. Natsu nodded at my suggestion.

"Good idea, we still haven't paid them back for that hot-springs trip" he stated. I nodded as we began to walk with Lucy back towards the guild hall. Despite mine and Natsu's date-planning, the lingering thoughts of that night on Magnolia's outskirts still left me with a cold feeling inside.

 _Maybe we should have tried to get them to join the guild… then they wouldn't have… left… in such a hurry_ I thought with a slight frown. Natsu seemed to pick up on my thoughts as the Dragon Slayer darted me a look and a smile, before leaning in and kissing me in full public view. The kiss was soft and sweet, and a little surprising, but it was exactly what I needed to stop feeling so blue. _I'm with Natsu now and that's all that really matters_ I thought happily.

/

We entered the guild and were met with the slightly grumpy face of Makarov. "Ah Natsu, Gray…" he said as soon as we had set no more than two feet into the guild. "The Magic Council's here and they would like a word, hope you don't mind" he added, before ushering us into a separate room with allowing us enough time for even a minor and futile protest.

The room we entered was sparse, with just a few chairs on which were sat a couple of serious-looking council officers and a group of frog-men officials, along with the Guildmasters, or other representatives, Sting and Rogue, Ooba and Jura, Bob and last but not least Kagura. Natsu eyed them all up suspiciously, especially those Councilors.

"Natsu Dragneel, and Gray Fullbuster, correct?" one of the frog-men said. We both nodded, deciding it better, under the death-glare of Makarov, to just get this over and done with without protest.

"Yes" we both stated in unison.

"Good. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused, however in light of recent events the Magic Council has decided to avoid any further incident and brush this 'Codex' issue under the carpet" one of the stony-face men stated. Natsu and I nodded in semi-understanding of the man's words.

"However…" another chimed in. _Of course, it's not that simple_ I thought. "For the record, we need to have a statement from _every_ mage present during those fights against the dark wizard Damien and his minions. If you could please just explain what occurred the night _after_ those fights, and the supposed last moments of the group known as the Triplet Code, we would be most grateful" they stated. I looked to Natsu for a moment, as we heard their request.

"Should we tell them?" I asked him. Natsu shrugged and looked to Makarov.

"Hey Gramps, should we tell _that_ bit?" he asked. The councilors turned to Makarov, who scowled.

"Yes, that's the point of them interviewing you two. Just explain what you said to those three and then we can let you go" the old man stated.

"Alright" the Dragon Slayer nodded, "Well… after we defeated Damien there was this big party, however Walter, Cyrus and Blake… they all went outside and then…" Natsu began explaining exactly what happened that night, almost a month ago.

/

 **General POV, the night of the party**

Natsu, Sting, Rogue, Gray and Makarov all stood facing the Triplet Code. The teen mages each stood with a glass of poisoned champagne in their hands. Blake stood silently, with his face an open book of mixed emotions. Cyrus stood to his right, a stoic expression as always, but one tinged with regret, sadness and a sense of finality.

Walter stood apart from the group, closer to the guild mages, anger and resentment clear on his features. "You think you understand everything" he barked abruptly at Gray and Natsu, "You only fought Damien a little, you may have seen his death… however… I… you have no right to say this, no right to say he intended for _anything_ ". The teen mage had a few tears streaming down his cheeks, however he was stopping himself from saying the one thing he hadn't been able to before Damien's death.

"You loved him" Gray stated, his tone not quite calm, but not angry; just a mixture of a little pity, and a statement of fact.

Walter was repulsed by the tone. "Yes, I did," he barked "So for what reason _shouldn't_ I kill myself, if not only to see Damien again" the Requip mage seemed close to breaking point. After all the times the group had seen him stand up to danger, and smile, this completely broken Walter was something new to all of them. They seemed stunned for a moment. "Well?" Walter barked.

"It'll protect the world too" Cyrus chimed in, logical tone of voice the perfect contrast to Walter's overly emotional tone.

"How about this; there's still one thing that Damien _didn't_ tell you… something that only I know, _because_ I saw him die" Natsu stated. The Requip mage seemed surprised by this news, however it was little comfort, and it did nothing stop him raising that glass to his lips and drinking the contents. Everyone held their breath, knowing full well that the next few words could define the course of fate for the three mages. Cyrus was logical, however if they all did not kill themselves logic would dictate he shouldn't either, and so he would, they all knew. Blake cared only for his friends, so he would not take action without them, and so both his, and Cyrus' fates, rested upon Walter's next move. Yet still in this maelstrom of emotions, teetering on the brink of triple suicide, Natsu smiled.

"What?" Walter barked at the Fire Dragon Slayer, "What do you know?"

Natsu smirked. "Damien…" he let the name hang in the air for a moment, "isn't really dead".

Everyone was stunned by the announcement, everyone but Walter. The Requip mage snorted derisively. "You're really _that_ desperate, that you'd lie to bold faced like that" he accused, taking a slightly firmer grip of his glass. "Damien died and you know it… now… if you haven't got anything else to say, it's about time the Triplet Code finally undergoes our last mission. With that, Cyrus, Blake and Walter all took a drink from their glasses before anyone could stop them.

"No wait!" Natsu barked a fraction too late. "Damien didn't die. Did Blake or anyone check his pulse or anything?"

Blake shook his head, which prompted Walter to give a look of confusion. "But… I held him in my arms… I… I _held_ him as he died" the Requip mage blubbered. Natsu shook his head.

"No. Damien faked his death, he must have thought you'd move on and live your lives if you thought he was dead. You can fool most things, but _my_ nose could still smell his magic, and I could still hear his breathing" Natsu explained hurriedly.

"But Blake and I dealt with Damien's body" Cyrus stated, his face visibly pained by the effects of whatever potion Blake had just given them. "I used fire magic to burn his corpse, even if he was alive… he would have died after _that_ " the Script mage stated, with a little note of sadness in his voice.

Gray cleared his throat. "I may not have known Damien long; however, he _was_ a Maker mage. Even just using my Ice-Make magic even _I_ could have faked a corpse. Could it not be possible that he simply used his powers after we all greeted the rescue party, when no one was looking, and then escaped off until the coast was clear?" the Ice mage asked. Cyrus pouted for a moment, before shrugging.

"It's possible" he said, "However…" he trailed off as Walter chuckled loudly.

"However, it doesn't really matter now… we've all just drank Blake's potion, so we're _going_ to die regardless" Walter stated, with an amused tone. "Even if Damien is alive, we're not going to be meeting him again for a little while, however… when we do… when _I_ do… I'll finally tell him how I feel" Walter added, his expression becoming increasingly pained under the effects of the elixir.

"It's not over, you can still meet Damien again… Blake, just tell us how to fix this and we will. We can get Sherria, Wendy… anyone" Natsu reasoned, "You can't just die!".

Walter laughed. "S-sorry Natsu… if there is one thing I can ask, though… why didn't you tell us he was alive at the time?" Walter asked, as he and the other two mages fell to their knees in pain.

Natsu and Gray both rushed over to Walter's side. "I figured that Damien could finally go off and live a normal life, and you could too… maybe if I had told you sooner…" the pinkette looked distraught by his lapse in judgment.

Walter shook his head. "No, it's not your fault… don't blame yourself" Walter stated, before a loud noise broke the quiet struggles of the three dying mages.

"No!" it barked. Everyone looked around, and their eyes all rested on Blake.

"B...lake…?" Walter croaked in surprise.

"I… prepared for this eventuality" the Elixir mage stated, his fingers glowing as they were pressed to his throat. The gathered mages looked in surprise, as he forced himself to his knees, his hands fumbling about in his left pocket, the opposite pocket to the one which he had stashed the poison in. "There's… an antidote" he stated, "I thought… just in case… I didn't really want to die, but I figured I could go on living knowing you two had killed yourselves, so just in case… I made _this_ " he stated, desperately unstopping the phial, before dropping a few droplets into his hand and then lapping them up. As soon as he did, the pain lessened, and carefully, the Elixir mage crawled over to Cyrus, dropping a few drops into the Script mage's open mouth.

"Y… you disobeyed?" Cyrus asked. Blake nodded.

"Yes, I did, Cyrus. Instructions are good, but you still need to learn that there can be room for emotions" Blake stated, before he made his way a bit more carefully over to Walter.

"Here" Blake stated, giving Gray the vial. "Give him this… I'm afraid… I'm about to pass out from the antidotes… effects" Blake stated. Gray took the antidote hurriedly, administering a few drops to Walter's mouth. After only a few moments, Walter groaned, as the pain in his stomach, like a fire burning, dwindled.

The teen looked up at the two mates that stood over him, and smiled. "Thank… you" he said, before he too passed out from the effects, along with Cyrus.

/

 **Gray POV**

Natsu finished his recount of events with a slight smile and a heavy sigh. The officers, and Guildmasters present, all gaped at the story, except Sting and Rogue, who had been present during those critical moments themselves. All the way throughout I was prepared to jump in and assist the pinkette, however he needed no assistance, and I did not even have to give one ounce of support, outside of the warm touch I gave when Natsu recounted Walter's hurried drinking of the poison, and the tense few moments after that event.

After a few minutes, no one spoke. "Is that it?" Natsu asked, breaking the silence, "Can we go now?"

The Magic Council officers seemed a little lost for words, which greatly amused both me, Natsu, and Makarov, who was standing just out of their field of view. "Er… yes, I suppose. Do you have anything to add, Mr Fullbuster?" the human men turned their gazes towards me. I shook my head.

"I think Natsu covered it all pretty good" I stated, "So… we'll just be on our way" I added, tugging Natsu to leave. Sting smirked as we began leaving, mouthing a 'help me' as the officers turned to the Guildmasters now to ask them to fill in some (overly) large stacks of paperwork. Rogue smacked the blond on the side, urging him to begin filling in the meaningless stacks of paper, alongside those others present.

I chuckled to Natsu as we left. The pinkette Dragon Slayer looked at me with confusion. "What's so funny?" he asked with a slight pout.

I looked at him, and pulled him aside for a moment, before we would return to the hum-drum of the main part of the guild. "Well… I didn't think you could be so… descriptive… or _dramatic_ Natsu" I stated, smile plastered all over my face. Natsu's pout turned into a frown at this statement.

"Well ya coulda helped" he mumbled. I shook my head.

"And ruin the show?" I teased, before I pulled the other male in close, "Anyways, don't be like that… I kinda thought it was… cute, the way you added all those little notes of fear or panic to your voice as you explained to them what happened. Almost sounded rehearsed, like a play" I added. Natsu blushed slightly at the praise.

"Come on… Gray… Don't fool around" he chided me playfully, pushing me away with only a light resistance. I stood my ground, holding the pinkette in close.

"Now when have I ever missed the opportunity to… _fool around_ with you, eh pyro?" I asked, emphasizing the key words with a suggestive raise of my eyebrows.

Natsu smirked at me. "Don't you remember what happened the last time we got… _fired up_ in the guild?" he questioned me. I shrugged.

"I can't see that happening again, what with Sting and Rogue back in _there_ " I stated, nodding my head in the direction back towards the room we had just left. "Besides… what's the harm with just a little make-out session in one of the side rooms?" I added, again wiggling my eyebrows suggestively, this time bucking my hips just a little too, to see if I could get passed Natsu's defenses. It worked; the pinkette began smirking lewdly.

"Come on then" he stated, taking my hand to lead me away to some discrete corner of the guild hall. Unfortunately, we didn't get more than a few steps, before a gruff voice beckoned for our attention.

"Oi! Lover boys!" it called out loudly. Natsu and I both turned, to see the hulking form of Gajeel, with his arm spread around the smaller form of Levy.

"Hi guys" the Script mage greeted us with a shy wave; she was clearly only here because the Iron Dragon Slayer was, and nothing more.

"Hi Levy, Gajeel, what's up?" I asked. The Iron Dragon Slayer blew air out of his nose.

"Don'tcha 'what's up' me, what we're you two about to do?" the black-haired mage questioned. Natsu eyed up the other Dragon Slayer suspiciously.

"Nothing… just hanging out as _mates_ " the pinkette stated, emphasizing the last word almost like he was brandishing a weapon. The Iron Dragon was unperturbed.

"Oh really… well that's not what it _smells_ like to me. And I'm not the only one who'll be able to _smell_ it either, so keep it where it's not in public, or make sure you hose yerselves, and the whole place, down afterwards" Gajeel stated, with a slyly victorious smirk. Natsu huffed.

"I suppose you've got a point, come on Gray" the pinkette stated, tugging at me to follow him past Gajeel and towards the guild entrance.

"Whoa… what are you doing Natsu?" I questioned the other man in surprise. Another voice joined in that query.

"Are you two leaving already?" Erza asked, Lucy alongside her.

"Yeah, I thought you just got here?" Lucy stated confusedly. Natsu shrugged.

"Sorry, but Gray and I have gotta go…" he stated. _But why?_ I thought confusedly. I almost voiced the thought aloud, however Natsu leaned in to my ear and whispered something additional, so that the girls couldn't here. "gotta go and _fuck_ " he added on, withdrawing with a smile. I almost blushed at the suggestion, however I too joined in the pink-haired mage's smiling.

"Where are you going?" Erza reiterated her question to us. Natsu just repeated his earlier response.

"Oh… we've just gotta go somewhere, that's all" the Dragon Slayer stated, giving my arm another tug. I just shrugged in compliance.

"Sorry you two, but we'll have to talk later" I stated, as I was almost dragged away by my now horny and most likely hard, pink-haired mate. As we left I could hear the last couple of snippets of Erza and Lucy's conversation.

"Considering what happened this morning, I'm surprised they'd be so upbeat and cheerful" the Celestial Spirit mage stated.

"Well, it was for the best, after all… Walter's decision did seal it" the Sword mage added on "I wonder how they're doing?" she questioned aloud, before Natsu dragged me out of ear shot.

Once we were outside, I tugged at the pinkette to stop, and he did so, albeit reluctantly. "Where are we going, my place is that way" I pointed in the opposite direction of where Natsu was headed.

The Dragon Slayer just smirked. "I just thought we might… make a lot of noise… so we should go to my place where it's more secluded" Natsu grinned. I sighed and smiled back.

"You know… you can be a real pain sometimes" I stated. Natsu almost sweat dropped.

"I'd _never_ cause _you_ pain, Gray" he mock-whined, before his tone gave way to a more lustful quality, "Well… not unless you _asked_ for it beforehand" he added, raising his eyebrows.

I sighed again and tapped the pinkette's side playfully. "Come on pyro, you've _fired me up_ enough, let's just do it" I said, gesturing for the Dragon Slayer to continue walking. Natsu laughed.

"Well… that's the spirit at least" he giggled, before taking my hand and parading through the streets of Magnolia to his out-of-the-way house in the woods.

/

 **Natsu POV**

"Hey Natsu, I was just thinking… what did Walter say to you when he woke up?" Gray asked as we began walking the track out of town. I pouted.

"What'd you mean?" I asked with a confused tone.

"Well when Walter woke up after taking the antidote, when we were still on the hill late that morning, I was sort-of sleeping, but I could hear you two mumbling together" Gray explained. "I meant to ask you… Since Walter left that morning, and we've had no message from him after that, except for that letter he told us to give to the guild before he left, I've always wondered…" the raven-haired mage trailed off, leaving it to me to explain myself. I sighed, and stopped treading the path, Gray stopped a step ahead of me.

"When Walter woke up I was already awake, but I thought you were asleep. He smiled at me, and we began talking… about things" I started, "We thought about the first time Walter came to the guild with Cyrus and Blake, as well as the stuff that'd happened since then. He seemed to be in a better mood, so I… decided to ask him what he was thinking of doing in the future" I explained, giving Gray a minute to absorb this information. The Ice mage nodded in understanding, and I continued. "After a few minutes, he said he didn't know, so I suggested that he and the others stayed at the guild whilst looking for Damien, but Walter said he didn't want to burden us anymore".

Gray frowned. "He wouldn't have been a burden" he stated. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I said so too, but… Walter said he'd feel bad going back to the guild after what they'd just tried to do. That was when he came up with the idea of leaving and well… you know the rest" I further explained. Gray nodded.

"He left to search for Damien, whilst Cyrus and Blake left to… actually what _did_ they want to do?" Gray asked. I shrugged.

"Don't know. Before Walter left, though, he did bring up _one_ thing" I smirked broadly, which made Gray pout.

"What?" The Ice mage asked.

"You agreed to go on a _honeymoon_ with me right before we cast that spell" I chuckled. Gray seemed stunned by my statement for a moment, before a great smile spread across his face.

"Oh yeah… I forgot about that" he laughed. "We totally agreed to do that, however I guess we both forgot" I shook my head at that statement.

"I didn't forget Gray, but… weeeeell…" I felt a blush raise to my cheeks, Gray looked at me intently until I finished. "I kinda can't afford to go anywhere expensive" I admitted at last, lowering my gaze a little. The Ice mage just laughed and ruffled my hair with his hand.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, flame-for-brains" he stated, before lifting my chin up, "Besides… you don't need to take me anywhere to… have _fun_ " he added, "I'm most comfortable wherever you're happy".

I smiled up at Gray, before connecting our lips in a short kiss. "Okay, how about we… have that fun we were going to have then?" I asked gesturing for us both to proceed up the path and into my house. Gray laughed and began walking with me again. After only a few steps a rustle in the nearby undergrowth caught my attention, and I whirled around to find the source, however when nothing presented itself, I just shrugged. Gray seemed a little confused by my behavior.

"Probably just a rabbit, or something" I stated to him, before we both continued walking up to the house, and shutting ourselves away inside, with no other company than each other.

/

 **General POV, somewhere else**

Two figures walked the less travelled road, stopping only when they reached what, to the more casual observer, appeared to be a solidly thick wood of many different species of trees. "This is it" one said to the other. The other figure nodded.

"Yup" they said, "This is where it is" The other figure gave an inquiring expression.

"Are you sure?" he asked his companion, who nodded again.

"Definitely, there's your proof" they stated, pointing to one of the trees on the fringes of the wood. "I carved that symbol myself".

The other figure observed more closely the highlighted tree, to indeed see that there was some inscription carved into the bark; three squares nestled within each other. "Disobeying is part of your persona now, is it Blake?" Cyrus enquired. The aforementioned Dark Elixir mage shrugged.

"You and Walt give orders, I follow them… vaguely" Blake stated. Cyrus sighed.

"Don't talk like that, you know… it woulda been a lot quieter had I not realised I could suppress your powers with a simple collar, you would still be unable to speak" the Script mage stated. Blake smirked.

"Well you did" he stated, tapping the collar he now wore around his neck, "And so you get to hear all those quips you've missed for the last eighty something years" Blake added with a smug look.

Cyrus rolled his eyes. "Regardless of your speaking habits… we've got work to do. This forest needs to be cleared again, and the place prepared" Cyrus instructed. Blake smiled, and gave a mock bow.

"Yes M'lord" he said in a fake-subservient tone, before pouting. "Although… this did take us a number of months to make the _first_ time, and that was when Walter was around to help" the Elixir mage noted. Cyrus sighed; that statement was said with sincerity at least.

"Yes, Walter's absence means that we're going to have to work even more efficiently, although… all we did was destroy the buildings and make the sand-part overgrow, so it's not like we're going to have to create the whole cove again" the brunette reasoned.

Blake nodded. "I suppose so. Hey… do you think we'll get everything done _before_ Walter comes back?" he asked with genuine intrigue. Cyrus pouted, it was a thought that had crossed his mind too.

"It's likely we should at least get the forest area cleared a little, and some of the ground-work laid… however it depends on whether Walter is, you know, _successful_ " the Script mage debated. Blake smiled; although Cyrus' face gave no emotion, at least no credible one, his voice belied many little subconscious thoughts that the dark-haired mage had grown adept at spotting.

"I thought you might say that. Damien always was a tricky one; he could try to run or hide, however… I hope they both come back safe and soon" the Elixir mage stated, before smiling more broadly. "Plus, we're gonna need their help, otherwise this is gonna take _forever_ " he chuckled.

Cyrus nodded. "Agreed, now… the best time to start is always the present" he said, before gesturing for Blake to follow him through the woods. The other boy obliged, readying a few spells in case any giant insects decided to grow bold and try their luck.

Much needed to be done before the plan Walter had laid down was to be completed, and the two members of the, now dissolved, Three Cubed guild were going to have a lot of work ahead of them.

/

 **Meanwhile**

The traveler, upon entering the quaint town of 'Lost' made a bee-line for the nearest bar. Entering the darkened place, the cloaked figure made no eye-contact, and barely made a gesture, to any of the other patrons. Calmly, he sat down at one end of the long bar, alone, and after a few moments the older form of the bartender materialized from somewhere.

"So, what're you here for?" the older man, somewhere in his fifties, asked the traveler.

The cloaked figure looked out from underneath the hood he wore, bright golden eyes stared out. "What's it to you?" he questioned, his voice was a mixture of threat and mystery.

The bartender looked unperturbed by the harshly-asked question. "Nothin' much, 'cept… I can't serve you a drink unless you tell me" he stated. The traveler gave a confused expression at the old man's response.

"You can't serve me?" he questioned "Why?" The bartender shrugged.

"Y'see… there's only two kinds of people who come to this town; those who are lost, and those who are lookin' for something. I've only got two drinks, a drink for one and a drink for the other, so which one are you?" he explained. The traveler paused for a moment, before he gave off a loud laugh.

"Ha… guess I was looking for something once, but now I'm lost" he stated. The older man smiled.

"One drink for the lost comin' up, then" he stated, before quickly producing a drink with well-worn, well-practiced skill.

The traveler accepted the beverage with barely a second glance to the old man. The bartender shuffled off to go to another gruff-voiced, rough-looking man who had come to sit on the far end of the bar, an empty glace in his hand.

"Hmph… guess the rumors about this place being weird were true" the traveler sighed, before slipping off into his own rambling train of thought.

/

 **Elsewhere, around Magnolia…**

Natsu and Gray kissed sweetly as the slightly shorter pinkette kicked the bedroom door closed with his foot. "Gray…" he mewled into the kiss, gently pushing at the Ice mage's chest to urge the other male towards the bed. Gray allowed himself to be guided by his mate towards the now familiar mattress, sitting once he felt the edge touch the back of his legs. Natsu smirked down at Gray from above, before straddling himself on the Ice mage's lap. His smirk was tinged with a slight lust, that emanated from the fires deep within his dark eyes. A moment later, the Fire Dragon ground his hips so that his butt rubbed up against Gray's member.

"Agh…" Gray let out a little moan at the action, a smirk forming across his own features. "So, you wanna do it _that_ badly, huh?" the Ice mage asked the pinkette, brushing aside Natsu's open-fronted waistcoat, so that he could wrap his arms around his bare waist. Natsu mewled again as Gray began trailing kisses along his chest. "Answer the question, Natsu" Gray stated after a few drawn-out moments of quiet, with nothing accept the few noises Natsu made as his torso was covered with light, soft kisses.

"I d-do want it badly Gray" the pinkette stated after the prompt. Gray smiled, and switched tactics from leaving little kiss, to instead focusing his efforts in one place. "Ahh…" Natsu moaned, as Gray's tongue carefully caressed the Fire Dragon Slayer's right nipple. Looking down, Natsu met Gray's gaze, and the Devil Slayer smirked wickedly, before tugging at the hardening pink bud with his teeth. "G-ray…" Natsu breathed, tugging at the dark locks of his mate. "I want to fuck… but… ahh…" the pinkette couldn't get his words out properly. After getting hard in the guild, and having to wait the whole way over to his house, Natsu was already pretty far-gone.

Gray smirked at his handiwork, before leaving off Natsu's nipple and kissing a trail back up to the Fire mage's mouth. He kissed Natsu softly, before sliding his hands up the Dragon Slayer's sides, stopping when his fingers reached the other man's shoulder blades. "What did you want to say Natsu?" the Ice mage asked as he drew back from the kiss. Natsu was blushing, and panting slightly.

"It can… it can wait" he stated, before he leaned in to kiss Gray some more. The Ice mage accepted the kiss, knowing full well that Natsu was already at his limit. "I wanna… make you cum so badly, Gray" Natsu said into the kiss. Gray chuckled, as Natsu began to rise up, getting higher above Gray and forcing the Ice mage to tip his head back.

"Natsu…" Gray breathed, as he felt the pinkette's tounge finally reach out and begin pressing to his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Gray opened quickly; he was equally as horny as the Fire Mage at this point. The two mates had decided on avoiding having sex for a few days, since before he left, Walter had suggested that there could be some side effects to the spell which they had used to make the dragon, and that these would be worsened by the pair being 'too close' or 'too bonded', however after about a month without proper sex (they had masturbated together, but no actual penetration occurred) they were basically desperate.

After a few minutes of more heated kissing, the two broke apart. "Natsu I…" Gray began to say, however Natsu shook his head, standing up off of Gray and pulling off his waistcoat.

"Gray, get naked. Now" the Fire mage commanded, giving the raven-haired mage no room for debate. Gray laughed, sliding up the bed. He had already lost his shirt somewhere, so all he had to do was kick off his boots, and remove his trousers. As Gray got to work removing his lower clothing, Natsu had already removed his clothes, and quickly was making his way over to the bedside table. Gray watched his mate, and realised only then that the snow-globe lacrima he had given Natsu on their last date before they became mates was standing proudly on a shelf facing the bed, along with some other bits and pieces Gray recognized.

"Natsu…" Gray said, earning the Fire mage's attention. Natsu looked over to Gray, who had stopped undressing, and frowned.

"What is it Gray, please don't say you wanna wait, because I don't think I _can_ at this point" Natsu stated. Gray smirked, and shook his head.

"It's not that" he reassured Natsu, "It's just… I never noticed _that_ shelf before" he pointed towards the shelf.

Natsu blushed a little at the mention of it, and came to kneel down in front of Gray, before lying down on top of him, his weight supported fully by his own strong, muscular arms. "I kinda… put that up when I was here by myself a few days ago, it's just a stupid little collection of stuff" he stated, with a somewhat dismissive tone.

Gray shook his head and smiled. "I can see what's there from here Natsu; you've got the snow globe, a few pictures, I'm guessing of me or of us both together, and what looks to be the little wooden token I gave you on our very first date" the Ice mage stated with a cocky smile. Natsu huffed.

"Fine, I wanted to show off all the stuff we'd done together, okay?" the pinkette admitted. Gray smiled softly.

"Of course, I'm okay with that, now… where were we?" he asked. Natsu grinned, taking ahold of the raven-haired mage's loosened trousers and underwear, before pulling them off completely in one fluid movement.

"I believe we shoulda been right _here_ " the pinkette stated, earning a slightly lustful look from the raven-haired Ice mage.

/

The traveler sat alone at the bar. The air inside the old wooden building was somewhat stale, and with the beating sun outside, it would have been stifling for anyone normal, however none of the patrons of this place were even remotely _normal_.

After about half an hour of silence, with not one person coming to speak to him, the traveler was slightly surprised, when a voice spoke up from somewhere nearby. "You gonna actually drink that?" it asked. The traveler looked up, his golden eyes resting once more upon the older bartender, who shot him a slightly gap-toothed grin.

"Maybe" the traveler replied unenthusiastically. The bartender smiled.

"You're a lot different from the other guy" he stated, which earned a confused look from the silent cloaked figure.

"I came here alone" he said gruffly, before returning to staring into the liquid in his glass. "You must be going senile, getting me confused with another customer" he added with his own slight smirk. The bartender laughed.

"Quite a sharp tongue, don'tcha?" he muttered, before pouring himself a drink and downing it in one. "I know you came 'ere alone, but…" the bartender trailed off.

"But what?" the traveler inquired, his tone of voice belying his slight interest in the peculiar older man.

"When I asked yer for yer drink earlier you said you were 'looking for somethin' once, but lost now', correct?" the bartender stated. The traveler just nodded. "Well, you weren't the first to come in here and say somethin' weird like that" he added.

The traveler furrowed his brow. "Someone else said the same?" he asked.

The bartender nodded. "Yep. Well… he said somethin' _similar_ " he explained, "When I asked him 'bout himself for his drink, he laughed, said a couple of… remarks… then started a brawl across the whole of this place. When he was done, I asked him again, and then he said he was 'lost once, but lookin' for somethin' now'" the bartender added.

The traveler just shrugged. "Some people are weird" he replied, before hardening his eyes "what did the guy do then?"

The bartender smiled broadly at this question. "He said you'd ask that" the old man chuckled. The traveler went wide eyed.

"He's here now?!" he questioned a little loud, which earned a few stares from the other patrons. The old man nodded.

"Yeah, after I gave 'im his drink he said that 'nother guy was goin' to come in here and that I should give them _this_ " the old man produced a piece of scrap cloth, on which was drawn a crude drawing of two stick figures. One was sitting having a drink at a bar, and the other was standing, waving, from a separate doorway to the right. After a precursory look, the traveler stood up from his seat, and picked up his drink. The bartender registered the movement, and understood what the traveler was going to ask next.

"He's in the third room to the right" he stated. The cloaked figure nodded, before downing his own drink.

"Thank you" the traveler stated, before beginning to make his way over to the aforementioned room. He paused a moment before wrapping his knuckles against the wood of the door.

Natsu stripped Gray off in one fluid movement. Eyeing up his mate's hardened member, the Dragon Slayer swallowed instinctively. Gray watched the action with a flicker of a smile, before his mouth was locked in heated, passionate kissing with Natsu, who had immediately crawled on top of his naked form, straddling the Ice mage in the process. "Gray…" the pinkette moaned into the kiss, as his hands and fingertips explored his mates muscular body.

"Natsu…" Gray moaned back. The two were locked in a heated battle of wills between their mouths, as their tongues fought for dominance. After a few minutes, Natsu won the battle, and his tongue took the lead before he was forced apart from his Ice mage by the necessity for oxygen. "I want to… no, I _need_ to taste you Gray. It's been too long" Natsu breathed. Gray smiled up at Natsu; the tone of desperation in the Dragon Slayer's voice, combined with how sexy the pinkette looked on top of him, sent a shiver of pleasure down the Ice mage's spine.

With a lust-filled smirk, Gray nodded. "Go get what you want then, pinky" the Ice mage said with a commanding tone. Natsu's face reddened slightly at the dominating attitude of his mate, however this reaction was very short lived, as the pinkette crushed his lips against Gray's for one last kiss. Claiming Gray's mouth with ease, Natsu explored all of Gray's now familiar moist cavern, before breaking off to begin his path down the Ice mage's body. Starting from his ear, Natsu nibbled on Gray's earlobe, which made the raven-head shifted and let out a few whimpering sounds, before the Fire mage began trailing kisses along his jaw line. As Natsu neared Gray's mouth area again, the Ice mage reached out and shifted so that their mouths met and forced his tongue into Natsu's mouth before he could react. The Fire mage allowed his mate a few moments of reclaimed dominance, and Natsu sifted his hand through Gray's dark hair as Gray's hands stroked Natsu's face. The instant of intimacy was over quickly, as Natsu was first to break away. Moving lower, the pinkette ran his tongue along the Devil Slayer's neck before advancing further down his body, over Gray's chest, and abdomen.

He stopped at Gray's cock and looked up to meet the Ice mage's gaze as he took the head into his mouth, causing Gray to moan. The sound had a wonderful effect on Natsu, and he engulfed more of the length into his mouth, flicking his tongue against the tip of the shaft, and eliciting such a beautifully satisfying noise out of the Ice mage. He kept going, sucking and flicking down as much of the length as he could, making as much noise as he could, making sure to get as much of Gray to moan and writhe in pleasure as he could. Gray, on the other hand, could barely contain himself, and he buried his head into the pillow, face a picture of joy. Natsu couldn't believe how hot the raven-haired mage looked, despite all the times they had sex in the past, Gray had never looked so pleased. Gray moaned again and Natsu couldn't help but laugh as the dark-haired Devil Slayer began running his figures through his mate's pink locks. The vibrations from Natsu's laughter caused Gray to moan even louder and soon it became too much. Natsu began touching himself, moving his hand in time with the bobs of his head.

"Ahh… Natsu…" Gray let out a gasped breath, the Ice mage more roughly tugged at the pinkette's locks. Feeling the throb of Gray's muscles, Natsu already knew what was going to happen. "C-oming…" Gray gasped, before hot white ropes of seed shot into the Fire Dragon Slayer's awaiting mouth.

Riding his orgasm out, Gray only ceased his grip on Natsu's head once the waves of pleasure subsided. Natsu had already stopped touching himself, since he wanted to prolong this lust-fueled activity for as long as he could. Removing the Devil Slayer's cock from his mouth, Natsu climbed up Gray's body, and kissed him, forcefully taking dominant position, and sending his tongue out into his mates awaiting cavern. Gray did not resist the kiss, and as he tasted himself on Natsu's invading muscle, he felt a great sense of elation, heightened by a twinge of pleasure that spread throughout his body.

After a few moments of heated kissing, Natsu and Gray broke apart, with a trail of saliva, mixed with traces semen, still connecting their lips. The pinkette had a wry smile on his face as he looked upon Gray's form. "Natsu…" he panted in deep breaths. The Fire Dragon Slayer chuckled.

"You know what _comes_ next, right Gray?" Natsu asked slyly. Gray nodded breathlessly. "Good" Natsu said, before he shoved two of his fingers into Gray's mouth. "Suck them" he ordered. The Ice mage obliged with complete obedience; he was too desperate and horny to refuse. Natsu slid his other hand along Gray's body, playing with the one of his nipples. Once Natsu deemed his finger's slick enough he removed them from the Ice mage's mouth, quickly to be replaced with his tongue once more. After a little more heated kissing, Natsu began sliding the first of his slickened fingers into Gray's ass. The Ice mage moaned a little into the kiss as he felt the Dragon Slayer's first digit enter. He began sliding it in and out, and soon he formed a steady rhythm. Gray's member was already hard again and as he looked over the pinkette's body, he could see how hard the other male was. With a slight smirk into the lustful, messy kiss, the Ice mage reached down and began stroking the pinkette's member, earning a slight moan in response.

Natsu slid another finger inside and started scissoring his fingers inside Gray's ass. As he did so Gray began thrusting up and down, causing himself to moan with increased pleasure as the gyrations also caused Gray to become impaled upon Natsu's figures. "Ngnn… So fucking good…" Gray moaned as Natsu caused him to feel pleasure from increasing depths within his body.

After a little while, Natsu removed his fingers from within Gray, earning a slight whine from the dark-haired male at the feeling of loss. The pinkette grinned. "Don't worry" he said, "Now you get to really feel _filled_ " Gray smirked at the cockiness of his mate.

"Agh… get on… with it" he begged the Dragon Slayer. Natsu could've almost cum just from hearing that pleading tone, however he maintained his control for long enough to quickly take off the top of the bottle of lube and pour a generous amount onto his cock.

Also applying some of the slippery substance to Gray's hole earned another whimper, however this was silenced by a final kiss from the Fire mage. "I'm gonna go in" Natsu told Gray. The Ice mage nodded and looked his mate up and down, as Natsu lined up his cock with Gray's prepared and lubed-up hole. "Ready?" Natsu smirked at Gray. The Ice mage bit his lip.

"Ye… YES" he replied, yelping as Natsu began pushing his cock in before Gray could even finish his sentence. The Fire Dragon Slayer felt nothing but pleasure as he slowly descended into the depths of his mate. Once he was up to his hilt, he waited on Gray to give the go-ahead for the last part.

After only a few seconds the Ice mage looked up to Natsu with lust in his eyes. "Fuck me" he whined desperately.

Those words were all Natsu needed to hear, and once given they could not be taken back; not that Gray would want to of course. The pinkette pulled his hips back and forth, increasing his pace as he found a steady rhythm somewhere within the waves of pleasure. Gray moaned loudly as Natsu angled his thrusts to roughly hit the same area he knew from experience would drive his Ice mage crazy. He kept thrusting until he found once again the place he was aiming for. "F-fuck… so good… faster Natsu… AGH!" Gray moaned as Natsu bore down on his sweet spot.

Natsu smirked at the pleasured moans he was ripping from the dark-haired mage's throat. Encouraged by the noises of approval, his thrusts came harder and faster until Natsu was ushering pleasured moans out of his own mouth uncontrollably, just as Gray had done so many times already. Gray looked up at Natsu with a lust-lidded, pleasure-blind gaze. This heated moment made everything they had experienced seem worth it, and Gray finally realised the gift Walter had left to him. Sending out one final thought to the Requip mage teen who had pushed him and his now-mate together, Gray gasped loudly.

"Oh God…" Gray shouted abruptly as Natsu rammed down significantly harder onto his sweet spot, "I'm gonna… f-fuck… cum… Natsu" he tried to warn, too late. As Gray gasped in a second orgasm, ropes of his hot white seed covered his chest. The sight of muscular Ice mage covered in his own seed, and the muscular contractions that the orgasm resulted in, causing him to tighten around Natsu's member pushed the Dragon Slayer over the edge too.

"Gr-ay… GRAY!" he moaned as he came inside the Ice Devil Slayer. "F-fuck…".

Riding his orgasm to competition, after a few moments Natsu pulled out and lay beside his lover and mate. "Well…" he said, panting a little hard, "That was _definitely_ fun" Gray nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… seems like… we're both tired too…" he added, giving a yawn. Natsu chuckled.

"Yeah" the pinkette agreed, as he curled up beside Gray, the cum on the Ice mage's chest not deterring him from wrapping an arm around his mate. "However… let me clean you up a little" Natsu giggled, before lowering his head to Gray's chest and lapping up some of the sticky substance with his tongue. Gray whimpered a little; despite two consecutive orgasms, he could already feel a twitch in his groin again as the Fire Dragon Slayer ran his tongue all over his sweaty, semen-covered body. After Natsu was finished, he grabbed the sheets and threw them over his and Gray's naked forms, before cuddling up close to the Ice mage.

"Let's just nap for a bit… then we can get back to the guild" Natsu stated, with a slight blush on his face. Gray smiled, the warmth in his chest was strengthened whenever Natsu blushed so cutely.

"Okay…" he agreed, "But no longer than an hour, okay?" he asked. Natsu mumbled a reply, however as usual he fell asleep almost instantly as he rested his head on Gray's shoulder. Gray couldn't blame the pinkette as he too fell asleep with speed.

Once both were out a knock sounded at the door. Without a reply the visitor entered, and with a wicked smirk on their face, they quickly, and stealthily, made their way up to the bedroom where the two mates had just fucked. "This outta surprise 'em" they said.

/

The traveler took a moment to compose themselves, before they knocked on the door. No reply sounded from within, however this did not deter the traveler. Knocking again, this time a little louder, yielded results, and the door opened, seemingly of its own accord. Suspicious, but not entirely surprised, the cloaked figure entered the room.

It was plain and relatively unfurnished, with no particular furniture to speak of, save a table in the center of the room. Opposite the door there was a window, looking out onto the bleak and barren wasteland beyond the town.

"I take it you're another _special_ _case_ " a voice said from within. The traveler looked around, and from a side-door, another hooded, cloaked figure walked out, taking the glass that had been placed on the central table, before standing at the window, their back turned to the door. The traveler analysed this person for a second before responding. "If by that you mean I surprised that old bartender then yes, I am" he stated calmly. The other figured seemed to nod their head.

From their build, they were male, but besides that no information could be gleaned about who this person was; not that the traveler didn't have his suspicions. "Let me ask you this then; are you lost, or looking for something?" the figure asked the traveler.

The traveler sighed. "I will repeat the answer I gave to that old man; I was looking for something once, yes, but now I suppose I am lost" they stated, with an almost bored tone. The figure seemed to smile, and they took a sip from their glass.

"Hah, you are not lost… from your voice alone I can tell that much. I myself was lost for many years, leading a band of 'merry men' on a foolish quest. I know what it is to be lost… devoid of true hope for the future or for any of the things you truly want out of life" the traveler sagged their shoulders. "Or at least… I thought I was" they admitted. The traveler furrowed their brows.

"You thought you were?" they asked in a slightly more familiar tone. The mysterious figure nodded their hooded head.

"I was consumed by despair, yet smiled outwardly, however it was only by seeing everything I wanted destroyed before me that I came to understand the true value of things. To learn how much something means to you, you must first see whether or not you can do without" the figure explained. The traveler shrugged.

"It seems logical. I have heard such a thing before, and perhaps I thought the same when, in my past, I was looking for the thing I thought I wanted" they stated.

"But you do not want that thing now?" the figure asked. The traveler shook their head.

"It is outside of my reach; for to my family I am dead, and to that which I want most… I cannot go back" the traveler replied. The figure seemed amused by this response.

"Then you have dug yourself into this pit of despair?" they asked. The traveler closed their eyes.

"Yes… perhaps" they stated, before taking a long breath out. As they did this, they hardened their golden eyes into a piercing gaze. "How what about you, what is it that you seek?" they asked with determination. The figure went silent for a few moments, before drinking down the rest of their drink, and placing the empty glass on the window sill.

Taking a step back from the window, they began laughing. "What I seek…" they muttered, "Is _you_ … Damien" Walter said, pulling off the cloak to reveal his well-dressed form beneath. The traveler smirk, and pulled down their hood to reveal much longer blond hair, and deep golden eyes brimming with intelligence.

"Walter…" Damien smiled. The Requip mage covered the whole distance of the room in one step, his Swift magic landing him exactly where he wanted to be; with his arms around Damien's waist.

"I've got something I want to say to you" Walter said. Damien stood dumbfounded. "I love you, and don't you _ever_ try to run away again" Walter said, before leaning in to kiss Damien.

The blond smirked as the initial shock wore off. As Walter pulled out of the kiss, Damien chuckled. "Guess you can still surprise me" he said, "But… let me ask you one thing; how did you realise I wasn't dead?"

Now it was Walter's turn to chuckle. "Hah… that's gonna take a while, come on. I've paid that bartender a lot of jewel to go along with my charade, let's see if we can't get ourselves a couple of drinks and then… we've got a lot of catching up to do" the teen said, before steering Damien out of the room and back towards the bar.

Damien allowed himself to be lead; since he never thought any fate or divine intervention would allow for him to at last be by Walter's side again.

He was truly, truly happy now, after so many decades of suffering and regret.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I stirred from my sleep. "Mgn…" I mumbled, as I sleepily awoke to prod the Ice mage beside me. "G'After… noon…" I said, trailing off as I found a significant lack of raven-haired Devil Slayer beside me in the bed. "Where's Gray?" I said aloud, sitting upright. The form a of naked Gray was crouched by the door.

"Good afternoon, sleepy dragon" the dark-haired mage said over his shoulder. I smirked, before giving a puzzled look.

"What are you doing over there Gray, come back here" I said, patting the place beside me in the bed where Gray _should_ have been. The Ice mage grinned.

"I was just picking something up" he explained, standing back up and coming to sit beside me on the bed.

"What were you picking up?" I asked, confused. _He didn't pick up our clothes, they're still all over the place…_ I thought for a moment.

Gray shrugged, however before he could speak, I began to smell a faint scent in the air. He registered my expression. "What is it Natsu?" he asked me. I frowned.

"I… don't know, but… there's a scent in the air, and I feel like I know it" I half-explained, scenting the air. "Did someone come in whilst we were asleep?" I asked Gray. The Ice mage shook his head.

"I don't think so… although it could have been when we were… um… doing it" he muttered. I gave a slightly more horrified look; it wasn't like Gray and I were quiet, so if someone had come in they would have likely heard _a lot_ of… embarrassing things. Gray took in my horrified expression, and grinned. "Don't look like that, I was only messing with you. I think someone probably came in when we were asleep. Did you lock the door before we went upstairs?" Gray asked me.

I punched the Ice mage lightly on the arm. "Don't joke around like that" I pouted, before shaking my head, "But no, I didn't lock it. Normally, most people don't come here. And anyone in the guild who knew we were here would have likely just left again without coming in" I said.

Gray shrugged. "Whatever, I don't think it was someone from the guild, look" he handed me a envelope. "I was just going to get a quick drink of water, and you were still asleep, however when I opened the door, this was sitting on the floor outside" Gray explained. I turned the paper over in my hands.

"Did you open it?" I asked; scenting the air again I found the same smell coming from this paper, whatever it was.

Gray shook his head. "No. I only just found it when you woke up, so I haven't opened it yet" he said. I nodded.

"Okay, should we open it then?" I asked. Gray frowned.

"Yeah, but be careful. It could be some kind of trap… like there's an enchantment on it or something" he said warily. I chuckled, _he's cute AND hot when he's overprotective of me, even though it's supposed to be_ me _that's the overprotective one_ I thought.

Carefully, as per Gray's instruction, I opened the envelope. Inside there was a piece of paper, and two tickets. "What's this?" I frowned; I had half expected it to be a letter, or some joke from the guild.

"It's… tickets?" Gray questioned, with a puzzled expression. He took one and looked it over. The small rectangular paper had a faint picture of a beach on it, along with the words 'FREE ROOM AND FOOD FOR TWO WEEKS' on it in a big, bold script. Getting increasingly confused, I took the other ticket and the scrap of paper. "Does it say who it's from on it?" Gray asked. "I'm guessing the tickets are for some hotel or something, however… it doesn't say _where_ " the Ice mage added on. I frowned and gave the paper a look over.

"Well… this kinda has a map on one side" I said, "But on the other there's just some weird number thing" I added. Gray took the paper and gave it a glance over. After a moment of looking an enormous grin spread across his face.

"Erm Natsu… do you know what this number is?" Gray asked me, pointing to one of the digits. I shook my head.

"It's just two threes, but one is smaller than the other… does it mean thirty-three?" I asked. Gray shook his head.

"No… not quite Natsu. Come on, what does the smaller number do?" Gray asked me, trying to prompt some form of revelation, that clearly wasn't happening. After a few moments of thinking, I just shrugged. Gray sighed, and cuddled me closer to him. "When the smaller number's in the corner of the bigger number, and it's a _three_ that's in the corner, then that number is getting _cubed_ " the Ice mage explained.

With this information, I looked to the piece of paper, my mind trying to process what Gray clearly had already figured out. "So… that three… is getting cubed?" I muttered, before something suddenly struck an accord inside of me. "Wait… three… cubed… three cubed?" I smirked at Gray. Realising what I now understood the Ice mage laughed.

"Yup. Looks like Walter is still giving us surprises" he said, "And judging from this map… he's gonna be covering for our honeymoon, or at least a mini-break" the Ice mage chuckled. I hugged Gray tight.

"Gray, let's go there now" I said. Gray hugged me back.

"Well, let's go to the guild first, like we said we would… then maybe in a couple of days we can go" he said. I nodded and buried my face in the Ice mage's shoulder.

 _Thank you, Walter,_ I thought, _You always help us… all of us…_

/

 **General POV**

Walter smirked as he and Damien walked the path away from Magnolia. The blond and dark-haired teens looked to each other with wide grins on their faces, their fingers interlocked with each other as they strode along.

"What are you still grinning about?" Damien asked Walter. The Requip mage shrugged.

"I was just thinking about the time I met these two idiots… they both had feelings for each other, but they could never express them" Walter said. Damien chuckled.

"Now which two idiots could that be, I wonder?" the blond asked as they walked. "Me and you?" he questioned. Walter laughed at Damien's inquiry.

"Actually, no… but now that you mention it, I love you" Walter said.

Damien gave a puzzled look. "Who are you talking about then?" he muttered. Walter sighed and pulled Damien close, an arm around the Maker mage's waist. He gave him a quick kiss, before they returned to holding hands and walking down the path.

"I'll tell you on the way. It's kind of a long story, and we still have some time to kill" Walter said. Damien nodded.

"Fine. Just continue where you left off in that bar…. I think you were telling me about some giant creature you were killing" Damien said with a smile. Walter laughed.

"You were actually listening to me?!" The Requip teen smirked in surprise. Damien shrugged.

"Maybe…" he blushed slightly.

"Oh god, do that again and I'm not gonna be able to wait until we regroup with Cyrus and Blake, I'll have to fuck you here" Walter said with a wicked look. Damien tapped Walter on the side of the head.

"Just shut up and tell your story" the blond stated, earning a pout from Walter, which lasted all of two seconds.

"Alright… so we were busy on that job and then…" the two walked on towards their intended destination.

It had taken Walter only a week to find Damien, however it was now taking the pair over a month to get back to Magnolia, before they set off towards the beach-front that Walter, Cyrus and Blake owned.

Damien was confused as to who Walter had referred to as the 'two idiots, however as he walked beside the Requip mage, he couldn't really care less whether it was he and Walter that were the pair, or someone else. Only one thing mattered to the blond, and that was that Walter had managed to find him and they had managed to at last be together.

Walter's actions had not just made Damien happy, but from his stories, Damien finally understood the impact Walter had on so many people's lives; both to Damien, and to all those others, he was a genuine hero.

 **Fin.**

 **Author's note; I would like to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who has supported this fic, and continued to read it. It was a long story, but now it is at an end. Please leave a review to tell me how you felt about this, did I do a good job on creating believable OCs? Did the story interest you? Or was it a huge bore? Please tell me so I know what I can work on in future fics, and until my next work (which I hope you'll read) I will leave you all with just a 'See you later' :)**


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